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TTo  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of 
the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which 
no  man  l^noweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it. 


DR.  H.  BAVINCK 


Cf)e  Sacrifice  of  ^xmt 

9^rtiitatlon0  befote  anb  after  tttetbing 
attti«  tp  tit  table  of  tge  £orb 


PROPERTY  OF  x 
ZABBPHAJH  LIBRARY 


Translated  from  the  Holland  language  by 

Rev.  John  Dolfin 

Pastor  of  the  Bethany  Christian  Reformed  Church 
Muskegon,  Mich. 

TRANSLATED  BY  PERMISSION  OF  THE  AUTHOR 
SECOND  EDITION 


LOUIS  KREGEL,  PUBLISHER 

GRAND   RAPIDS,    MICH. 

1922 


MAR   12  1997 


Copyright  1922 

by 
Louis   Kregel 


Ct)e  ^acrtfire  of  i^raise 


PREFACE. 

The  favorable  reception  of  these  meditations  by 
the  reading  public  of  the  Netherlands  was  phenom- 
enal; within  four  weeks  the  first  edition  was  sold, 
and  since  then  four  others  have  appeared.  The  fifth 
edition,  revised  and  increased  by  one  chapter,  is  the 
one  we  offer  in  the  English  language.  These  medi- 
tations, before  and  after  receiving  access  to  the 
table  of  our  Lord,  derive  their  name  from  Hebrews 
13:15,  where  tlie  Apostle  speaketh  to  his  fellow 
Christians  :  "By  him  therefore  let  us  offer  the  sacri- 
fice of  praise  to  God  continually,  that  is,  the  fruit  of 
our  lips  giving  thanks  to  his  name.'' 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  do  not  know,  we 
w  ish  to  say  that  Prof.  Dr.  H.  Bavinck,  of  the  Free 
University  of  Amsterdam,  was  born  on  the  13th  of 
I)ecem])er,  1854,  at  Hoogeveen;  graduated  at  Leiden 
on  the  3d  of  April,  1878,  and  at  Kampen  on  the 
20th  of  July,  1880,  receiving  his  degree  D.  D.,  at 
Leiden  on  the  10th  of  June,  1880.  Received  and 
accepted  a  call  as  pastor  of  the  then  Christian  Re- 
formed Church  at  Franeker,  which  he  served  from 
March  13,  1881-Oct.  8,  1882,  when  he  accepted  the 
appointment  as  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Theo- 
logical   School   at   Kampen,    where   he   began    his 

S 


t;  PREFACE. 

labors  on  January  10,  1883.  On  the  ITth  of  De- 
cember, 1902,  he  delivered  his  inaugural  address  as 
Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Free  University  of 
Amsterdam. 

In  our  translating  we  have  attempted,  as  near 
as  possible,  to  retain  the  original,  sometimes  sacri- 
ficing the  smoothness  of  language  and  style  for  the 
sake  of  the  distinctive  original  expression.  We  have 
but  one  desire,  hope  and  prayer,  and  that  is,  that 
these  meditations  may  be  as  helpful  and  instructive 
to  those  who  read  them  in  the  English  language  as 
they  have  been  to  us  in  the  language  of  our  fathers. 

The  Translator. 


SECOND  EDITION. 


It  was  witli  a  feeling  of  sincere  interest  and 
gratitude  that  we  re-read  this  little  book  in  prepara 
tion  for  a  new  edition.    Corrections  in  the  transla- 
tion were  made  here  and  there  but  of  course  the 
contents  remained  untouched. 

Dr.  H.  Bavin ck,  the  author,  well  beloved  and 
liighly  esteemed,  passed  into  his  eternal  reward  and 
unto  higher  service  July  29,  1921. 

May  he,  who  is  no  longer  with  us  here  below, 
continue  to  speak  to  us  tlirougli  these  meditations. 

John  Dolfin. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  less  than  a  year's  time  three  staunch  de- 
fenders and  scholarly  interi^reters  of  Calvinism 
have  passed  into  the  great  beyond.  Kiiyper,  War- 
tield,  and  Bavinck  have  iinished  tlieir  earthly  course 
in  rapid  succession.  Their  noble  work  done,  they 
liave  entered  into  their  rest.  Though  the  broad  ex- 
panse of  waters  separated  the  American  theologian 
from  his  esteemed  colleagues  on  the  continent,  these 
three  Avere  one  in  liope  and  doctriri(%  one  in  charity. 
Calvinism  is  not  limited  to  any  one  nation  or 
tongue.  In  the  death  of  those  men,  who  were  tilled 
with  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the 
Church  has  sustained  a  severe  and  almost  irrepa- 
rable loss.  Wlien  stars  of  tlie  first  magnitude  cease 
to  shine,  the  heavens  are  less  bright  and  it  is  but 
natural  that  a  dread  of  approaching  dai'kness  will 
creep  over  us. 

But  this  apprehension  of  gloom  must  not  pre- 
vail. We  have  the  Word  of  God  which  shall  not 
pass  away.  We  may  depend  on  the  abiding  pres- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ.  And  besides,  the  men  of  God  who  wrought 
so  mightily  have  left  us  a  lieritage  of  unspeakable 

9 


10  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

value.  They,  though  dead,  still  speak.  Their 
records  produce  the  familiar  sound  of  their  own 
voices  and  is  music  to  all  who  love  the  faith  of  the 
fathers. 

The  preservation  of  the  priceless  productions  of 
those  intellectual  giants  is  our  first  duty  to  God  and 
men.  In  the  kind  providence  of  God  the  works  of 
our  great  theologians  are  not  only  preserved,  but 
also  translated.  Tlie  necessity  of  translatino:  choice 
Dutch  literature  into  the  English  language  is  very 
evident  in  view  of  tlie  present  generation  of  young 
I)eople  in  our  churches.  Tlie  present  situation  re- 
veals the  fact — in  a  way  deplorable — that  only  a 
small  percentage  of  our  youth  can  appreciate  a 
book  written  in  our  old  mother  tongue.  It  is  im- 
perative, however,  that  the  fundamentals  of  the 
Reformed  Faith  receive  a  permanent  place  in  their 
hearts  and  lives.  Hence,  the  need  of  translating 
the  grand  old  truths  into  the  language  which  they 
do  understand. 

How  gratifying  it  is  to  note  that  eminent  theo- 
logians have  not  confined  themselves  exclusively 
to  the  production  of  technical  books  for  the  use  of 
the  ministry,  but  have  also  left  us  little  jewels 
which  appeal  directly  to  the  laymen  of  our  congre- 
gations. Kuyper's  ''To  Be  Near  Unto  God"  and 
WarfiekVs  "The  Savior  of  the  World''  have  been 
read  by  thousands  of  believers.  In  like  manner 
Dr.  Ravinck's  ''Tlie  Sacrifice  of  Praise,"  as  trans- 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

lated  by  the  Rev.  John  Dolfin  of  the  Christian  Re- 
formed Cliiirch,  111(4  Avith  a  favorable  reception.  It 
does  not  surprise  us  that  there  is  a  demand  just 
now  for  a  second  edition.  A  book  of  this  nature 
will  be  needed  so  long-  as  young-  people  confess 
Christ  as  their  Lord  and  Savior. 

It  is  our  humble  and  liappy  task  to  command 
''The  Sacrilice  of  Praise"  in  its  second  and  care- 
fully revised  edition  to  our  churches,  especially  to 
tlie  Reformed  Church  in  America.  We  can  do  this 
most  cheerfully  liecause  it  is  our  personal  conviction 
that  Dr.  H.  Bavinck  was,  by  the  grace  of  God,  tlu^ 
Prince  of  recent  Reformed  theologians.  Among 
the  three,  al)Ove  named,  lie  easily  holds  first  place 
for  depth  of  thought  and  accurate  research.  His 
scholarly  attainments  were  indeed  rare,  as  abun- 
dantly shown  by  the  copious  quotations  and  refer- 
ences in  his  ''Reformed  Dogmatics"  and  other 
works. 

This  book  is  of  an  intensely  practical  nature. 
The  subject,  as  the  headings  of  the  twelve  chapters 
indicate,  is  "Confession."  We  do  not  hesitate  to 
say  that  in  practical  church  life  there  is  still  con- 
siderable misunderstanding  as  to  confessing  Christ. 
Ministers  and  elders  frequently  hear  such  ques- 
tions as  these:  Is  it  really  necessary  to  make  pub- 
lic confession?  Why  should  I  take  that  step? 
AVhat  does  it  mean  to  confess  Christ?  What  is  the 
relation    between    Holy    Baptism    and    the    Lord's 


12  THE  SACRIFICE  OF   PRALSE. 

Supper?  Doejs  God  demand  that  one  should  unite 
with  the  Church?  What  rewards  may  the  sincere 
confessor  expect?  These  and  other  questions  are 
answered  by  the  author  in  plain  and  Scriptural  lan- 
guage. Throughout  the  book  the  fundamental  sig- 
nificance of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  with  its  attend- 
ant promises,  conditions,  and  blessings  is  clearly 
set  forth.  In  a  word,  ''The  Sacrifice  of  Praise''  is 
a  masterpiece  on  the  subject  of  confessing  Christ, 
both  for  instruction  and  comfort  to  those  who  in- 
tend to  unite  with  tlie  Church  and  to  members  in 
full  communion.  Because  of  its  unique  character, 
consistories  would  do  well  to  ])rocure  this  book  in 
(|uantiti(\s  and  present  a  copy  to  every  person  who 
appears  before  them  to  make  confession  of  faith. 
May  the  Holy  Spirit  accompany  this  book  on 
its  journey  to  the  intent  that  our  baptized  young 
men  and  maidens  may  ''offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise 
to  God  continually." 

John  Bovenkkrk, 

Pfifitor  of  the  FirHt  Reformed  Church 
of  Mnfilceffon^  Michigan. 

Dec.  1?>,  1921. 


CONTENTS. 


I.     The  Basis  or  Foundation  of  Confession 

II.     The  Training  or  Bringing  up  unto  Con 
fession    .... 


III.  The  Rule  of  Confession    . 

IV.  The  Essence  of  Confession 
V.  The  Contents  of  Confession 

V'l.  The  Diversity  of  Confession 

VTI.  The  UniversaHty  of  Confession 

VHI.  The  ObHgation   to  Confession 

IX.  The  Opposition  to  Confession 

X.  The  Strength  for  Confession   . 

XI.  The  Reward  of  Confession 
XII.  The  Triumph  of  Confession    . 


PAGE 

15 

27 

35 
46 

59 
66 

75 

85 

94 

102 

109 

116 


13 


Cf)e  S>acrtftce  of  ^xmt 

CHAPTER  I. 

Hie  Basis  or  Foundation  of  Confession. 

And  I  will  estahlish  my  covenant 
between  me  and  thee  and  thy  seed 
after  thee  in  their  generations  for 
an  everlasting  covenant,  to  be  a 
•  God  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed 
after  thee.     Genesis  17:7. 

The  coveuant  of  grace  lies  immovably  firm  and 
fast  in  God's  eternal  mercies. 

In  the  first  covenant  which  was  established 
prior  to  the  fall,  God  came  to  man  demanding  and 
requiring  obedience,  and  promised  him  eternal  life 
and  heavenly  salvation  only  after  perfect  fulfill- 
ment of  the  law.  This  first  covenant  therefore 
reckoned  witli  the  will  and  with  the  loork  of  man,  it 
rested  for  a  part  in  his  hand  and  hence  was  uncer- 
tain- and  breakable. 

But  the  covenant  of  grace,  which  was  an- 
nounced for  the  first  time  in  the  maternal  promise, 
has  its  basis  and  security  only  in  the  divine  counsel 
of  grace.  Although  the  word  covenant  does  not  ap- 
pear in  this  promise,  still  the  matter  represented  by 
this  w^ord   is   fully  contained   in   it.      For,  before 

15 


16  THE  SACRIFICE  OP  PRAISE. 

man  through  transgression  has  made  a  cov- 
enant of  friendship  with  Satan,  God  intervenes, 
puts  enmity  in  the  room  of  the  effected  friendship 
and  in  the  seed  of  the  Avoman  once  more  brings  man 
over  to  his  side.  The  covenant  of  grace  therefore 
has  proceeded  entirely  from  God,  He  himself  brings 
it  about;  therefore  it  does  not  rest  in  man  nor  is  it 
in  any  way  dependent  upon  his  will  and  work.  It 
is  eternal,  unchangeable,  immovable,  even  as  God 
himself.  For  the  mountains  shall  depart  and  the 
liills  be  removed,  but  my  kindness  shall  not  depart 
from  thee,  neither  shall  the  covenant  of  my  peace 
be  removed,  saith  the  Lord  that  hath  mercy  on  thee. 

In  this  covenant,  God  is  the  First  and  the  Last, 
the  Beginning  and  the  End,  the  Alpha  and  the 
Omega.  In  the  most  beautiful  way  it  maintains 
the  absolute  sovereignty  of  God  in  the  whole  work 
of  salvation.  For  from  the  very  beginning  to  the 
very  end  nothing  of  man  is  added  or  introduced. 
Redemption  is  specifically  a  divine  work,  the  work 
of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  tlie  Holy  Spirit.  All 
boasting  is  excluded,  the  honor  and  glory  is  entirely 
and  only  due  unto  God,  who  is  not  only  the  Creator 
but  also  the  Recreator  of  all  things. 

On  this  account  is  it  a  covenant  of  grace,  of 
pure  grace.  In  the  divine  virtue  of  grace  this  cov- 
enant has  its  origin ;  in  the  gifts  of  grace  it  finds  its 
contents;  and  in  the  glorification  of  grace  lies  its 
end  and  purpose. 

It  is  God,  who  has  established  this  well  ordered 
and  eternal  covenant;  who  has  accepted  into  it 
man,  separated  from  Him  through  sin ;  who  makes 
man  a  participant  of  all  tlie  profits  and  benefits  of 
this  covenant ;  who  makes  man  to  walk  in  the  ways 


THE   BASIS   OR   FOUNDATION    OF    CONFESSION.       li 

of  this  covenant  and  through  this  covenant  leads 
him  to  the  heavenly  glory. 

The  stability  of  this  covenant  is  the  reason  why 
in  Holy  Writ  it  is  not  a  few  times  revealed  nnto  ns 
as  a  will  or  testament.  It  is  not  a  mutual  con- 
tract; it  is  not  like  unto  au  agreement  between  two 
])ersons  brought  about  by  them  upon  mutual  con- 
sent, after  much  weighing  and  consideration.  But 
the  covenant  of  grace  is  an  institution,  a  gracious 
disposition  of  God,  a  gift  in  Christ.  As  the  Father 
liath  appointed  the  Kingdom  unto  me,  even  so  1 
appoint  it  unto  you. 

As  by  will  or  testament,  in  the  way  of  a  last 
free  disposition,  in  the  form  of  an  inheritance  tlu^ 
divine  blessings  of  this  covenant  couu'  unto  us, 
without  our  will.  It  is  the  most  precious  gift,  the 
most  perfect  gift  which  comes  to  us  from  abovo, 
descending  from  the  Father  of  Lights,  with  whoiii 
there  is  neither  variableness  nor  shadow  of  turning. 

And  behold  now,  what  and  wliat  kind  of  bless- 
ings form  the  contents  of  this  free  and  eternal 
covenant.  Together  they  form  a  fullness  of  spirit- 
ual and  material,  of  heavenly  and  earthly,  of  eter- 
nal and  temporal  blessings.  In  that  covenant  there 
is  opened  and  unlocked  for  man  a  fullness  of 
salvation;  a  fountain  of  blessedness;  a  spring  of 
life.  The  one  grace  makes  room  for  another  and 
that  one  is  again  in  turn  relieved  and  substituted 
by  another.  Indeed,  out  of  the  fullness  of  Christ 
^^•e  receive  grace  for  grace. 

Spiritual  profits  and  benefits  are  the  first  things 
of  which  man  becomes  a  recipient  in  this  covenant. 
For  before  and  above  all  things  Christ  came  upon 
earth  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost.     He 


PROPERTY  OF   ^ 
-TADCDu&TU  I  IRRARY 


18  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

did  not  appear  as  a  reformer  of  society,  as  a  polit- 
ical leader  of  the  people,  as  an  artist  or  phil- 
osopher. But  a.  Savior;  that  was  His  name  and 
also  His  office.  For  that,  the  Father  had  anointed 
Him  with  His  Spirit,  to  preach  good  tidings  unto 
the  meek;  to  bind  up  the  broken  hearted;  to  pro- 
claim liberty  to  the  captives  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  are  bound,  to  procUiim  tin' 
acceptable  year  of  the  Lord. 

Spiritual  blessings,  therefore,  above  all,  are 
granted  unto  the  church  by  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  heaven.  In  communion  witli  Christ, 
forgiveness  of  sins  and  regeneration,  faith  and  con- 
version, sanctitication  and  perseverance  become  the 
part  and  portion  of  believers.  Both  their  con- 
sciousness and  their  being,  their  state  and  attitude 
are  renewed  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  They  have 
becouie  dilTerent  people  through  the  spirit  tii;il 
dwelleth  in  them ;  they  are  not  from  below  but  from 
above;  they  have  been  born  of  God,  accepted  by 
Him  as  children  and  are  destined  for  the  heavenly 
inheritance,  l^or  theui,  old  things  have  passed 
away,  behold,  all  things  have  become  new. 

But  these  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings  ;n'<' 
also  accompanied  by  those  which  are  earthly  and 
temporal.  Heaven  and  earth,  spirit  and  matter, 
soul  and  body  are  certainly  too  closely  allied  than 
that  an  absolute  separation  could  be  possible.  In 
the  glorious  picture  of  the  future  revealed  by  the 
l)rophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  we  do  not  only 
see  that  Israel  shall  be  a  holy  nation,  that  the 
Lord  has^  betrothed  Himself  in  eternity,  and  that 
Ele  shall  cleanse  from  all  uncleanliness  and  grant 
i\  new  heart,  but  we  also  see  in  that  picture,  thai 


THE   KA8LS   OK   FOUNDATION    OF    CONFESSION.      19 

under  the  Prince  of  Peace  out  of  the  House  of 
David,  Israel  shall  live  in  peace  and  enjoy  a  pros- 
perity beyond  recollection,  and  an  extraordinary 
fruit  fulness  of  the  soil. 

And  thus  also  the  New  Testament  unites  the 
corporal  blessings  with  the  spiritual.  Certainly  the 
( uipliasis  falls  upon  the  latter.  First,  the  Kingdom 
of  God  with  His  righteousness  must  be  sought,  and 
tliat  Kingdom,  already  here  upon  earth,  becomes 
the  part  and  portion  of  those  who  believe  the  gospel 
of  Christ  and  turn  unto  God  with  a  true  and  con- 
trite heart.  For  that  Kingdom  is,  in  the  first 
]>Iace,  established  within  the  heart  and  consists 
jiot  in  food  and  drink  but  in  righteousness,  and  joy, 
and  peace  through  the  Holy  Spirit. 

But  lie  who  has  sought  and  found  that  King- 
dom as  a  pearl  of  great  price,  receives  thereafter 
also  all  other  things.  Such  need  no  longer  take 
thought  of  the  morrow,  as  the  Gentiles  do,  and 
anxiously  ask:  What  shall  we  eat?  or,  What  shall 
we  drink?  or.  Wherewithal  shall  we  be  clothed? 
for  his  heavenly  Father  knoweth  that  he  hath  need 
of  all  these  things.  He  who  spared  not  His  own 
Son,  but  delivered  Him  up  for  the  guilty,  shall  also 
with  Him  grant  us  all  tilings.  The  hairs  of  our 
head  are  all  told.  Our  bread  is  certain  and  our 
water  sure.  To  be  sure,  he  who  Avould  follow  Jesus 
must  forsake  all.  But  even  now,  in  this  life,  he 
again  receives  fathers  and  mothers,  brethren  and 
sisters,  friends  and  fields,  and  in  the  coming  day 
^\9.n  life  fore\ermore.  Godliness  with  content- 
ment is  therefore  a  great  gain;  it  is  useful  unto  all 
things,  having  the  promise  of  ])otli  this  and  the 
future  life. 


20  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PKAISE. 

All  these  gifts,  profits  and  benefits  of  the  cov- 
enant of  grace  are  united  in  the  one  great  promise, 
that  God  will  be  our  God  and  the  God  of  our  seed. 
The  proclamation  of  salvation  begins  with  this 
promise  when  God,  after  the  fall  of  man,  again 
seeks  him,  breaks  the  contracted  friendship  with 
Satan  setting  enmit}'  in  its  place,  and  again  re- 
ceives man  into  His  communion  and  fellowship. 
This  promise  stands  at  the  head  of  tlie  covenant 
which  Avas  estal)lished  with  Abraliam,  shines  above 
the  law  given  unto  Israel,  and  forms  the  chief  con- 
tents of  the  dispensation  of  the  covenant  of  gi'acc^ 
in  the  days  of  the  Old  Testament.  In  tluit  promist^ 
the  pious  find,  even  in  the  midst  of  need  and  want, 
distress  and  misery,  their  salvation  and  comfort; 
besides  God  they  have  no  one  in  heaven  and  none 
upon  earth  that  they  desire  but  Him.  He  is  the 
strength  of  their  heart  and  their  portion  forever. 
When  Israel  forsakes  Him,  then  this  remains  their 
comfort,  that  God  nevertheless  remains  their  God, 
again  gathers  them  out  of  the  dispersion  and  at 
the  end  of  days  establishes  with  them  a  new  cov- 
enant wherein  they  shall  be  unto  Him  a  people  and 
He  unto  them  a  God. 

And  this  promise  passes  on  into  the  New  Testa 
ment.  It  is  fulfilled  in  Christ,  who,  in  the  most 
fearful  trials,  in  the  severest  temptations,  in  the 
struggle  of  Gethsemane  and  in  the  suffering  on  the 
cross,  remained  standing  because  God  was  His  God 
and  He  God's  own  well  beloved  Sou.  It  is  being 
fulfilled  in  the  church,  which  has  come  in  the  room 
of  Israel,  and  glorying  in  the  Immanuel,  God  with 
us,  is  accepted  as  His  people.  And  it  shall  be  fully 
realized,   whou   tli(»  New  Jerusalem  shall   descend 


THE    BASIS   OK    FOUNDATION   OF   CONFESSION.      21 

from  God  out  of  Heaven,  when  His  tabernacle  shall 
be  with  men,  and  He  dwell  with  them  as  His  people. 

What  gift  is  and  can  be  greater  than  that  of 
Ood  Himself?  What  can  He  give  more  than  Him- 
self; Himself  with  all  His  virtues  and  perfections, 
Avith  His  grace  and  wisdom,  with  His  right  and 
poAver,  wath  His  unchangeableness  and  faith?  For, 
where  God  is  for  us,  who  dare,  who  can,  who  shall 
be  against  us?  What  then  can  come  unto,  what 
then  can  hinder  us?  He  is  and  He  remains  ours, 
in  necessity  and  death,  in  living  and  dying,  for 
time  and  eternity.  He  is  a  God,  not  of  the  dead 
but  of  the  living.  Blessed  is  the  people  whose  God 
is  the  Lord! 

Moreover  this  promise  becomes  still  richer  when 
we  remember,  that  God  binds  Himself  therein,  not 
only  that  He  will  be  our  God  but  also  the  God  of 
our  seed.  Great  would  it  be  already;  if  God  had 
granted  His  communion  and  fellowship  unto  a  few 
people  standing  in  no  relation  whatsoever  to  each 
other;  if  God  working  arbitrarily  and  reckoning 
not  with  generations,  had  made  His  elect  loose 
from  all  historical  connection  with  tlesh  and  with 
blood.  But  the  Lord  does  not  work  arbitrarily  and 
in  this  wav.  He  establishes  His  covenant  oro^an- 
icallv  with  man.  in  Christ  as  Head,  first  with 
Adam  and  then  wdth  Abraham,  who  is  a  father  of 
all  believers.  With  His  grace  God  follows  the  line 
of  generations.  In  the  recreation  He  follows  and 
joins  Himself  to  the  creation.  He  executes  the 
election  in  the  way  of  the  covenant.  As  Father  of 
all  mercies  He  walks  in  the  path  which,  as  the 
Father  of  all  things  He  hath  assigned.  Therefore 
the  covenant  of  grace  is  also  eternal  in  this  sense. 


22  Tin:  sAcitiFK'K  OF  pUAisi:. 

ibat  iij  liistorv  it  proceeds  from  generation  to 
generation  and  is  never  interrupted.  (Iraee  is  :i 
stream,  which,  taking  a  beginning  after  the  fall,  in 
the  history  of  mankind  prepares  for  itself  a  bed 
and  only  finds  its  mouth  in  eternity.  As  covenant 
it  may  run  through  different  dispensations  and  ap- 
pear in  several  forms,  but  nevertheless,  through  the 
almighty  power  of  God  it  has  become  an  inex- 
terminable  part  of  the  world  and  an  indestructible 
good  for  mankind. 

Just  because  it  is  a  covenant  it  bears  this  in- 
(!orruptible  character.  As  we  know,  in  all  cov- 
enants there  are  two  parts.  First,  God  therein 
gives  Himself  unto  us;  but  then  we  are  thereby 
also  admonished  of  God  and  obliged  unto  a  nev\' 
o])edience,  namely,  that  we  cleave  to  this  one  God, 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  that  we  trust  in  Him, 
and  love  Him  with  all  our  liearts,  witli  all  (mr 
souls,  with  all  our  minds,  and  with  all  our  strength  ; 
that  we  forsake  the  world,  crucify  our  old  nature 
and  walk  in  a  new  and  holy  life.  When  God  gives 
Himself  unto  us,  then  He  wills,  that  we  thereafter 
shall  also  give  ourselves  unto  Mini,  ourselves  en- 
tirely, undivided,  unconditionally,  ourselves  with 
our  souls  and  our  bodies,  with. our  strength  and 
talents,  with  our  money  and  possessions,  with  our 
children  and  grandchildren.  Also  and  above  all 
with  our  childre]],  who  are  legacies  of  the  Lord, 
iind  the  choicest  of  His  earthly  blessings.  They 
must  be  God's,  because  we  are  His. 

But  nevertheless,  when  God  in  that  covenant 
also  witli  our  children  requires  and  demands  us 
for  His  service,  then  He  remains  the  First,  who, 
:iml    unto   us   and   unto  our  children  glorifies  the 


THE    15A8IS   OR   FOUNDATION    OF   CONFESSION.       23 

rk-hneBS  of  His  grace.  He  is  tlie  First,  when 
He  calls  Adam  and  Noah,  Abraham  and  Israel  unto 
His  eomnuinion  and  fellowship  but  He  also  re- 
mains this,  when  with  them  He  also  accepts  their 
cliildren  into  His  covenant.  I  will  be  a  God  unto 
thee  and  unto  thy  seed  after  thee.  Thus  is  the 
promise  with  which  God  binds  Himself  unto  the 
elect  in  their  generations.  And  before  our  chil- 
ren  were  born,  before  they  had  done  either  good  or 
evil ;  He  it  is,  that  said  in  His  free  almighty  power : 
I  will  have  mercy  on  whom  1  will  have  mercy,  and 
I  will  have  compassion  on  whom  I  will  have  com- 
passion. 

Our  children  do  not  come  into  that  covenant 
because  we  give,  because  we  consecrate  them  unto 
the  Lord.  Much  less  do  they  come  into  it,  because 
they  have  or  possess  any  merit  or  virtue  of  their 
own,  making  them  worthy  of  acceptance.  But  they 
are  in  that  covenant  by  virtue  of  the  promise  of 
God,  they  are  born  in  it  and  are  therefore  in  it 
from  the  very  first  beginning  of  their  existence, 
not  of  nature,  but  of  grace,  because  God  hath  bound 
Himself  to  be  the  God  of  believers  and  of  their  seed. 

In  the  spiritual  world,  governs  the  same  law 
as  in  the  natural.  We  are  all  participants  of  a 
natural  life,  wliich  we  have  received  through  our 
parents  from  God,  the  Almighty,  Creator  of  Heaven 
and  Earth.  That  we  possess  that  life  is  not  a  mat- 
ter of  fact.  We  have  not  given  it  unto  ourselves, 
we  have  not  merited  it,  we  have  by  our  guilt  even 
forfeited  it;  it  is  in  an  absolute  sense  a  gift,  to  be 
sure,  not  of  God's  particular  but  of  God's  general 
grace.  We  become  recipients  of  it  by  conception 
and  birth,  in  which  we  are  entirely  passive.    With- 


24  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

out  our  eonsoiousness  and  will  we  are  placed  in  a 
world,  which  is  tilled  with  rich  gifts,  and  we  go  in 
unto  the  mighty  inheritance  of  our  ancestors  and 
forefathers;  we  stand  upon  their  shoulders  and 
enjoy  of  that  which  they  wTought  and  brought  to- 
gether in  the  sweat  of  their  brow. 

All  this  is  true  of,  and  in  a  still  stronger  way 
applicable  unto,  the  spiritual  gifts  of  the  covenant. 
For  instance  it  is  not  true,  that  we  first  for  awhile 
wander  about  outside  of  and  without  tlie  covenant 
and  thereafter  by  faith  and  conversion  as  by  deeds 
of  our  own  free  wull  come  into  that  covenant,  may 
indeed,  faitli  and  conversion  are  not  conditions 
without  and  unto  the  covenant  of  grace,  but  they 
are  profits  and  benefits  in  that  covenant,  revealing 
participation  in  and  communion  and  fellowship 
with  Christ  and  opening  the  access  unto  the  en- 
joyment of  His  merits. 

All  these  gifts,  viz.,  of  forgiveness  and  renew- 
ing, holiness  and  glory  come  unto  us  through 
the  Mediator,  who  hath  earned  and  merited  theiu 
with  the  price  of  His  l)lood.  They  can  only  be  our 
part  and  portion  then,  when  we  are  participants 
of  Christ's  person.  The  mystical  union  with  Christ 
precedes  all  merits  and  benefits  and  reveals  itself 
first  in  faith  and  conversion.  Even  as  natural  life 
is  granted  unto  us  in  birth  and  thereafter  reveals 
itself  in  deeds  of  mind  and  will,  even  so  spiritual 
life  becomes  our  possession  through  regeneration 
or  the  new  birth,  thereafter  to  bear  fruits  of  faith 
and  conversion. 

And  again,  it  is  only  possible  to  be  a  participant 
in  Christ  then,  when  the  Father  grants  or  gives  us 
that  Christ.     The  offering  and  the  gift  of  Christ 


THE   liASJS   Oli    FOUNDATION    OF    (X)NFESSION.      25 

precedes  all  His  beuetits  and  profits.  It  is  God, 
who  grants  us  Christ,  yea  who  gives  Himself  unto 
us  in  Christ  and  who  in  communion  and  fellow- 
ship with  Him  makes  us  recipients  of  all  the  suc- 
cessive gifts  of  the  covenant,  yea,  of  complete 
salvation. 

And  now  of  this  unspeakable  gift  of  God^s 
grace,  baptism  is  a  sign  and  seal.  For  everyone, 
who  is  in  truth  baptized,  is  as  surely  washed  witli 
Christ's  blood  and  spirit  of  the  uncleanness  of  the 
soul,  that  is  from  all  his  sins,  as  he  is  externally 
washed  w4th  water  which  is  used  to  remove  the 
uncleanness  of  the  body.  Baptism  is,  is  it  not,  a 
})aptism  in  the  name  of  the  Triune  God?  For  when 
we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  God 
the  Father  witnesseth  and  sealeth  unto  us,  that  he 
cloth  make  an  eternal  covenant  of  grace  with  us, 
and  adopts  us  as  His  children  and  heirs,  and  there- 
fore will  provide  us  with  every  good  thing,  and 
avert  all  evil,  or  turn  it  to  our  profit. 

And  when  we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Son,  the  Son  sealeth  unto  us,  that  He  doth  wash 
us  in  His  blood  from  all  our  sins,  incorporating 
us  into  the  fellowship  of  His  death  and  resurrec- 
tion, so  that  we  are  freed  from  all  our  sins  and 
accounted  righteous  before  God. 

In  like  manner,  when  we  are  baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Holy  Ghost  assures 
us,  by  this  Holy  Sacrament,  that  He  will  dw^ell  in 
us,  and  sanctify  us  to  be  members  of  Christ,  apply- 
ing unto  us  that  which  we  have  in  Christ,  namely, 
the  washing  away  of  our  sins,  and  the  daily  renew^- 
ing  of  our  lives,  till  we  shall  finally  be  presented 


^t)  TJIK  SACKIFICi:  OF   FKAISK. 

without  spot  or  vvriiikle  auiong  the  assembly  of  the 
elect  in  life  eternal. 

Baptism  is  therefore  unto  us  a  sign,  a  witness, 
that  (iod,  unto  all  eternity,  will  be  our  God,  bein*; 
unto  us  a  gracious  and  merciful  Father.  For  He 
hatli  commanded  us  to  baptke  all  of  those,  who 
are  His,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  baptism  God  gives  us  the  visible  sign  and 
seal  that  in  Christ  He  hath  given  Himself  unto  us 
and  hath  accepted  and  adopted  us  as  His  children. 

And  that  acceptance,  that  adoption  is  the  basis 
or  foundation  of  our  confession. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Training  or  Bringing  Up  Unto  Confession. 

Man  shall  not  live  by  bread 
alone,  but  by  every  zvord  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of 
God.    Matt.  4:4. 

In  the  way  of  the  covenant  of  grace  God  trains 
or  brings  up  all  His  children  unto  liberty  and  in- 
dependence. 

While  election  only  includes  who  shall  in- 
fallibly inherit  eternal  salvation,  the  covenant  of 
grace  describes  the  way  in  which  these  elect  are 
and  shall  be  led  to  this,  their  destiny.  Election 
and  covenant  are  therefore  not  distinguished  as  a 
narrower  and  a  wider  circle,  for  they  both  consist 
of  and  include  the  same  persons;  but  while  in  elec- 
tion they  are  considered  by  themselves,  in  the  cov- 
enant they  are  always  considered  as  standing  in 
relation  to  the  whole  human  race. 

Although  the  covenant  of  grace,  thus,  in  the 
most  beautiful  way  maintains  the  absolute  sov- 
ereignty of  God  in  the  whole  work  of  salvation 
and  prohibits  anything  of  man  being  added  to  or 
introduced  into  it,  it  nevertheless  also,  at  the  same 
time,  does  full  justice  to  man's  rational  and  moral 
nature  and  to  the  fact  that  he  was  created  in  the 
image  of  God.     When  God  obtains  His  right,  man 

27 


-JS  THE  SACRIFICE  OF   FKAISE. 

alswj  rei-eives  the  pltice  iiiul  the  honor  which  belongs 
to  hira  according  to  the  will  of  God.  God  chooses 
(hose  who  are  His  in  Christ,  that  they  should  Ix* 
lioly  and  hianieless  before  Him  in  love. 

To  be  sure,  Christ  appears  in  the  covenant  of 
grace  as  head  of  the  church,  but  He  does  not  efface 
His  believers  neither  does  he  force  them  from  their 
place.  From  the  beginning  to  the  end  Christ  is 
surety  for  them,  but,  in  such  a  way  that  they  them- 
selves, also  taught  and  enabled  by  His  spirit,  con- 
sciously and  willingly  begin  to  live  and  walk  in  the 
covenant.  True,  the  covenant  of  grace  is  estab- 
lished with  Christ  but  through  and  over  Him  it 
propagates  itself  unto  all  tliose  who  are  His  and 
adopts  them  wholly  and  entirely,  with  body  and 
soul,  with  mind  and  will  and  all  strength. 

Because  God  works  in  them  both  to  will  and  to 
do  His  good  pleasure,  He  urges  and  compels  them 
to  work  out  their  oanu  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling.  By  the  grace  of  God  they  are  what  they 
are;  and  are  enabled  to  do  all  things  through 
Christ  who  strengtheneth  them.  Because  Christ 
lives  in  them,  they  themselves  live  by  the  faith  of 
the  Son  of  God.  Now,  therefore,  because  the  chil- 
dren of  believers  are  accepted  into  this  covenant 
of  grace  even  before  their  consciousness  and  will, 
therefore  we  say,  the  calling  particularly  and 
specifically  comes  to  the  parents  that  they  shall 
help  and  cause  them  to  be  instructed  in  the  afore 
said  doctrine  and  shall  bring  and  have  them 
brought  up  in  the  fear  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
Because  in  all  covenants  there  are  two  parts,  there- 
fore the  covenant  of  grace  also  admonishes  and 
obliges  us  into  a  new  obedience.     When  God  savs 


THE   TRAINING   OR  BRINOING  UP,   ETC.  29 

unto  us:  I  am  your  God;  He  also  immediately 
adds  to  it :  Walk  before  my  countenance  and  be 
ye  upright.  Giving  Himself  unto  us,  He  also  wills 
tliat  we  sliall  give  ourselves  unto  Him  with  all  we 
are  and  with  all  we  have. 

Children,  however,  are  not  able  immediately  to 
confess  for  thems(dves  and  to  Avalk  in  that  confes- 
sion. Tlie  ])arents  are  responsible  for  them.  They 
are  tljey  Avho  appear  as  witnesses  at  the  baptism 
(){'  their  cliildren  and  as  sureties  answer  for  their 
Christian  training.  Upon  the  basis  or  foundation 
of  tlie  acceptance  or  adoption  from  Cod's  side  the 
parents  are  obliged  to  bi'ing  and  lead  their  chil- 
dren to  the  full  conscious,  free  and  willing  con- 
fession of  faith. 

Here  also,  natunil  tilings  are  symbols  of  things 
s]>iritual.  The  natural  life,  Avhich  becomes  our 
part  and  portion  through  conception  and  birth  out 
of  our  parents,  is  in  an  absolute  sense  a  gift,  un- 
merited and  even  beforehand  forfeited.  But  that 
life,  even  from  the  very  first  beginning  of  its  exist- 
ence has  need  of  all  manner  of  sustenance  and 
protection.  It  must  ])e  nursed  and  fostered, 
guarded  and  protected,  fed  and  refreshed.  Witli- 
out  feeding,  without  strengthening  in  tlie  widest 
sense  of  the  word,  it  would  soon  succumb  and 
perish. 

The  first  and  highest  cause  of  this  preservation 
is  God.  He  is  not  only  the  Creator  but  also  the 
Preserver  of  all  things.  Tf  He.  did  not  sustain  that 
life,  called  into  existenr-p  by  Himself,  from  moment 
to  moment,  with  His  almightly  and  everywhere 
present  power  it  would  immediately  sink  back  into 
non-existence.    And  now  if  it  pleased  the  Almighty, 


30  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

He  could  bring  about  this  sustenance  and  preserva- 
tion of  life  without  using  any  mediums  whatsoeverj 
even  as  He  sustained  and  preserved  a  Moses  for 
forty  days  on  the  mountain  and  Jesus  for  forty 
days  in  tlie  wilderness.  Or  He  could  bring  it  about 
in  an  extraordinary  manner,  even  as  He  send  tlie 
ravens  to  feed  His  servant  Elijali  at  the  brf)ok 
Cherith,  or  as  He  fed  the  children  of  Israel  for  forty 
3'ears  in  the  wilderness  with  bread  from  Heaven. 

But  the  common  and  general  rule  is,  that  God 
brings  about  this  preservation  in  a  mediate  way. 
He  uses  food  and  drink  to  feed  us,  and  He  makes 
use  of  th(^  parents  as  the  natural  guardians  to  pro- 
\ide  for  the  manifold  and  various  needs  of  the 
child.  The  parents  are  oidiged  to  collect,  to  lay  up 
treasures  f(u^  the  children.  And  of  those  treasures 
the  children  live.  They  have  not  merited  them, 
they  can  lay  no  claim  to  them,  they  are  pure  de- 
pendency and  live  by  grace. 

But  even  then,  it  is  not  really  tlie  bread  that 
feeds  us,  but  the  word,  whicli  proceedeth  out  of 
the  mouth  of  God.  By  bread  alone,  with  notliing 
more,  man  shall  not  live,  but  by  the  word,  the  com- 
mand, the  power,  the  blessing  hiid  therein  and 
communicated  therethru  by  God.  That  and  that 
only  feeds  us,  whicli  it  pleases  (iod  to  provide  with 
strength. 

And  now  what  feeding  is  for  the  natural  life 
in  the  natural  Avorld,  that  is  training  or  bringing 
up  for  the  spiritual  life  in  tlie  spiritual  world.  It 
v.ould  not  be  a  too  wondrous  <>r  a  too  marvelous 
thing  for  God  to  preserve  and  build  up  man  in  his 
whole  spiritual  life  without  nny  mediums  whatso- 
ever.    But  it  pleases  Him  to  have  men  brought  up 


THE   TRAINING   OR   BRINGING  UP,   ETC.  31 

and  trained  by  man  and  especially  to  allow  tliem 
to  labor  with  the  word  unto  the  forming  and  up- 
building of  the  spirit.  Mind  and  heart,  conscience 
and  will,  disposition  and  imagination  are  in  this 
way,  from  infancy  formed  in  man  tlirough  the  in- 
fluence of  others.  And  also  in  the  feeding  and 
preservation  of  the  spiritual  life,  brought  into 
existence  by  regeneration,  God  works  in  no  other 
^^'ay  or  manner. 

Parents  are  in  the  first  place,  as  instruments  m 
the  hand  of  God,  employed  to  nourish  and  foster 
the  spiritual  life  in  tlieir  children  and  bring  it  to 
maturit3^  Nature  itself  already  indicates  this,  for 
it  is  in  the  circle  of  the  family  tliat  tlie  cliildreii 
receive  their  existence  and  spend  the  first  years  of 
their  life.  And  God  in  His  revelation  is  in  con- 
formity with  this  His  teacliino'  in  nature.  In  Israel 
the  Lord  inculcated  in  tlie  parents  the  duty,  that 
tliey  should  declare  unto  their  children  and  their 
children's  children  the  great  works  that  God  had 
done  in  tlieir  midst;  that  they  should  give  them 
an  explanation  of  the  solemn  ceremonies  in  their 
service,  especially  those  of  the  Passover;  and  that 
Ihey  should  instruct  them  in  the  laws,  in  the 
statutes  and  judgments  which  God  had  given  unto 
His  people.  Even  as  the  Lord  Himself  was  the 
Father  and  Provider  of  His  people,  so  the  parents 
must  be  the  corporeal  and  spiritual  guardians  of 
their  children. 

Still  stronger  is  this  duty  bound  unto  the  hearts 
<^»f  the  pai'ents  in  t]v^  days  of  the  New  Testament. 
Jesus  calls  the  children  unto  Him,  by  name, 
blesses  them  and  promises  them  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven.     Not  less  than  tlie  parents,  the  children 


32  THE   SACRIFICE  OF   PKAISE. 

participate  in  the  blessing  of  Clirist.  The  Apostles 
therefore  considered  them,  even  as  the  adults,  ac- 
cepted into  the  communion  of  Christ  and  exiiort 
tliem  to  be  obedient  unto  their  parents  ///  the  Lord : 
and  upon  the  parents  they  lav  the  duty  not  to  pro- 
voke their  children  to  wrath,  but  to  bring  them  up 
in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  tlie  Lord. 

^Mieu  Christianity  entered  tlie  world,  it  again 
restored  and  sanctitied  iho  broken  bands  of  family 
life;  it  restored  the  huslmnd  to  the  wife,  the  mother 
to  tho  children,  the  cliildren  again  to  tlu'  parents. 
And  under  the  impression  of  that  moral  change  a 
Church  Father  wrote  that  beautiful  word  :  ''Tiic 
mother  is  the  glory  of  the  children,  the  wife  the 
glory  of  the  husband  and  both  are  the  glory  of 
the  wife." 

In  this  weighty  and  responsible  task  of  training 
and  bringing  up,  the  parents  are  in  the  present  day 
assisted  by  the  school.  Because  the  denmnds  for 
life,  both  in  knowledge  and  ability,  have  become 
so  much  higher  and  broader,  the  parents  them- 
selves are  no  longer  personally  able  to  fulfill  the 
whole  task  which  rests  upon  them  in  the  bringing 
up  of  their  children.  They  no  longer  have  the  time 
neither  the  ability  for  it.  Therefore  next  to  the 
family  has  come  to  stand  the  school;  which  to  be 
sure  does  not  relieve  the  parents  of  their  responsi- 
bility and  task  but  nevertheless  comes  to  offer  help 
and  assistance  in  the  keeping  and  fulfillment  of  it. 
The  parents  remain  called  to  ])ring  their  rhildren 
up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord ; 
they  must  see  to  it,  that  the  instruction  given  in 
the  school  is  in  conformity  with  this.  But  the 
school  continues  the  education  in  this  line,  brings 


THE  TRAINING  OR  BRINGING  UP,    ETC.  33 

the  Christian  training  into  connection  with  the  re- 
quirements which  state  and  society  demand  of  its 
future  active  members;  and  the  purpose  of  the 
school  is  to  mould  the  children  into  men  of  God, 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works. 

The  churcli  also  has  a  task  to  fulfill  in  this 
training  of  the  children  of  the  covenant.  But  her 
work  is  essentially  distinguished  from  that  of 
family  and  school.  It  was  especially  the  Reforma- 
tion, and  among  the  Reformers  specifically,  Calvin 
who  again  laid  stress  and  emphasis  upon  this  ec- 
clesiastical training  of  the  youth.  The  catechetical 
iustruction,  which  the  church  officially,  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  gives  to  her  youthful,  minor  members, 
has  this  peculiar  and  specific  purpose,  that  it  leads 
the  baptized  children,  in  full  liberty  of  faith  to 
participate  in  the  Holy  Supper,  and  there,  with  the 
whole  church,  in  personal  independence  and  liberty 
show  the  death  of  the  Lord.  The  instruction  of  the 
church  does  not  include  tlie  task  which  awaits  the 
children  in  their  civil  and  social  life,  but  it  en- 
forces the  relation  which  God  has  laid  between  the 
two  signs  and  seals  of  his  covenant,  and  purposes 
to  train  and  bring  up  tlie  children  of  the  covenant 
unto  mature,  conscious  confessing  members  of  tlie 
Church  of  Christ. 

If  it  is  thus  carried  out  according  to  the  rule 
of  the  word  of  tlie  Lord,  then  family,  church  and 
school  work  together  in  a  most  beautiful  way.  They 
do  not  stand  disconnected,  side  by  side,  and  much 
less  in  opposition  to  each  other;  the  one  does  not 
break  down  what  the  other  builds  up,  but  together 
they  labor  in  the  one  great  task,  the  reformation 
of  man  after  the  image  and  likeness  of  God.    One 


34  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

faith  and  one  baptism  binds  them  together;  it  is 
one  confession  upon  which  they  all  rest;  it  is  one 
view  of  Avorld  and  life  which  they  impart  to  the 
children  for  comfort  and  support  in  the  arena  of 
this  earthly  life.  Each  in  its  own  Avay  and  yet  in 
a  mutual  relation  they  warn  and  teach  every  man 
in  all  wisdom,  that  they  may  present  him  perfect 
in  Christ  Jesus. 


i 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Rule  of  Confession. 

Thy  word  is  a  lamp  unto   my 
feet,  and  a  light  unto  my  path. 

Ps.   119:105. 

In  the  trainiii<»-  and  briDgiug  up  unto  confes8ion 
of  the  name  of  the  Lord,  family  and  church  and 
school  must  use  the  word  of  God  which  comes  unto 
us  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  That  word  is  the  founda- 
tion, the  principle,  the  rule,  and  again,  at  the  same 
time,  the  purpose  of  all  confession.  We  would 
have  nothing  to  confess,  if  God  did  not  give  us  in 
the  scriptures  His  truth  to  confess.  Out  of  tlie 
word  of  God  the  spiritual  life  is  fed,  so  that,  grow- 
ing in  the  grace  and  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  it  may,  in  an  independent  w^ay,  interpret 
and  confess  tliat  word  in  its  own  language  Ix^fore 
all  men. 

To  be  sure,  it  is  not  the  parent,  neither  the 
teacher,  neither  the  minister  of  the  word ;  nor  is  it 
that  word  in  itself  which  gives  and  preserves  this 
spiritual  life.  For  here  also,  is  the  saying  of  Jesus 
applicable,  that  by  bread  alone,  by  that  word  with 
nothing  more,  man  shall  not  live  but  by  all  strength 
and  blessing  which  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth 
of  God.  It  is  not,  Paul  that  planteth;  neither, 
Apollos  that  watereth;  but,  God  only  that  giveth 
the  increase. 

3.S 


36  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PKAISE. 

But  nevertheless  it  is  that  word  of  Holy  Writ 
in  the  hand  of  the  parents  and  of  the  teac-hers,  with 
the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  which  serves  to  feed  the 
spiritual  life  of  the  children.  What  food  is  for  the 
physical,  that  is  tlie  word  of  (lod  for  the  spiritual 
life.  How  sweet  have  been  Thy  words  unto  my 
taste  I  O  Lord,  yea,  sweeter  than  honey  and  honey 
comb  to  my  mouth  I 

That  word  of  God  c()nies  unto  us  from  the  tirst 
moments  of  our  existence.  That,  is  not  tlie  tirst 
time  that  it  comes  unto  us  when  the  Bible  lies  open 
before  us  and  we  read  and  search  it ;  neither  do  we 
come  in  contact  with  it  for  the  first  time  then,  w^hen 
in  the  public  assembly  of  the  saints  it  is  proclaimed 
unto  us  by  a  servant  of  the  Most  High  and  we  listen 
to  it.  But  that  word  comes  unto  us  from  our  most 
tender  infancy.  It  comes  unto  us,  in  the  rebuking 
of  tlie  father,  in  the  admonition  of  the  mother,  in 
the  instruction  of  the  teacher,  in  the  fellowship  of 
our  comrades,  in  the  witnessing  of  our  conscience, 
in  the  experiences  of  life.  It  is  with  us  upon  all 
our  jiaths,  it  accompanies  us  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave,  it  never  leaves  us  to  ourselves.  As  a  bene- 
diction it  is  pronounced  upon  our  heads,  in  psalm 
and  hymn  it  is  sung  unto  us,  in  addresses  it  is 
bound  unto  our  hearts,  in  commandments  or  pro- 
hibitions it  is  revealed  unto  our  eyes.  By  and 
through  that  Word  we  are  always  led  and  guided, 
admonished  and  comforted,  encouraged  and  morti- 
fied, convinced  of  sin  and  referred  to  Christ.  It  is 
Uie  very  atmosphere  in  which  we  live  and  breathe 
from  our  birth,  it  is  the  food,  the  drink,  the  air,  the 
sunshine,  the  rain  for  our  spiritual  life,  and  that 
all  together  and  at  once. 


THE   RULE  OF  CONFESSION.  37 

And  always  is  that  Word  a  power.  Without 
wishing  or  being  able  to  designate  when  it  already 
exerts  its  influence  upon  the  conscience  and  heart  of 
man,  it  remains  in  itself  always  a  powder  of  God 
unto  salvation.  Never  is  it  a  vain  sound,  a  dead 
letter,  a  meaningless  phrase.  It  is  always  quick 
and  powerful,  sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword, 
piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and 
spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow,  a  discerner 
of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart ;  a  hammer 
which  breaketh  in  pieces  the  hard  and  stony  heart 
of  the  sinner;  a  sword  of  the  spirit  that  mortally 
wounds  the  proud  and  self-righteous  man;  a  testi- 
mony and  witness  of  God  that  awakeneth  the  con- 
science; a  seed  of  regeneration,  a  power  unto  sanc- 
tification,  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for 
correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that 
the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works ;  in  a  word,  a  means 
of  grace,  preceding  and  highly  exalted  above  the 
sacraments. 

Even  there,  where  it  does  not  bring  and  com- 
mand a  blessing,  it  nevertheless  does  its  work  and 
exerts  its  influence.  The  devils  believe  and  tremble. 
For  Atheists,  unbelievers,  it  is  a  savour  of  deatli 
unto  death.  It  is  a  stone  of  stumbling,  a  rock  of 
offense  over  and  against  which  the  godless  stumble 
and  are  hurt.  If  it  does  not  soften,  it  hardens.  If 
it  does  not  warm,  it  scorches.  A  man  coming  in 
contact  witli  it  never  remains  the  same ;  he  becomes 
better  or  worse,  but  can  never  cover  himself  witli 
the  shield  of  neutrality.  Even  as  the  rain  and  the 
snow  cometh  down  from  Heaven,  and  returneth 
not  thither,  but  watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it 


SH  the  sackifice  uf  praise. 

bring  forth  and  bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the 
sower,  and  bread  to  the  eater :  so  shall  my  Word 
be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth,  it  shall  not 
return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that 
which  I  please,  and  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing 
whereto  I  sent  it. 

The  cause  of  this  power  lies  therein,  that  it  is 
God^s  Word.  All  scripture  was  not  only  once  given 
by  inspiration  of  God  but  it  is  also  as  such  con- 
tinually preserved  by  God  with  His  Almighty  and 
everywhere  present  jDOwer.  The  Gospel,  which 
comes  forth  out  of  that  Word  unto  man  in  mani- 
fold forms  and  along  various  Avays,  is  always  borne 
and  animated  by  God.  It  is  and  always  remains 
His  Word.  It  is  constantly  accompanied  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  who  lives  and  dwells  in  the  churcli 
and  from  out  of  her  goes  into  the  world  and  con- 
vinces her  of  sin,  righteousness  and  judgment.  It 
is  a  Word,  that  continually  proceeds  out  of  the 
mouth  of  God,  that  comes  unto  us  in  Christ,  and 
that  through  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  declared  unto 
our  heart  or  conscience. 

Therefore,  that  Word  can  be  and  indeed  is  the 
meat  and  drink  of  our  spiritual  lives.  It  is  the 
medium,  not  tlie  fountain  of  grace.  God  is  and 
remains  the  giver  and  dispenser  of  all  grace;  no 
man,  no  priest,  no  word,  no  sacrament  has  been 
clothed  by  Him  with  the  treasure  of  grace  or  com- 
missioned to  dispense  her.  Servants  can  give  the 
sign  and  seal,  but  God  only  grants  the  sealed  and 
sigTiified  fact.  This  onlv  has  God  done — and  this 
also  is  grace  —  He  has  in  His  free  power  and 
pleasure  bound  Himself  under  oath  to  grant  witli 
His   word,    which    is   administered    in    full    accord 


THE  RULE  OF  CONFESSION.  39 

with  the  meaning  of  the  Spirit,  unto  each  and 
every  one,  who  believingly  accepts  it,  Christ,  who 
is  the  meat  and  drink  of  our  souls,  the  bread  that 
lias  come  down  from  Heaven,  the  w^ater  of  life, 
drinking  of  w^hich  we  shall  never  again  thirst. 

But  to  be  thus,  that  Word  must  be  believed 
with  a  child-like  faith  and  accepted  in  humility. 
Even  as  bread,  however  powerful  and  nourishing 
it  may  be,  can  only  be  profitable  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  our  natural  lives  then,  wiien  it  is  eaten  with 
the  mouth  and  received  into  the  body — even  so  can 
the  Word  of  God  be  food  for  our  souls  only  then, 
when  it  is  accepted  by  faith  and  is  implanted  in 
our  hearts. 

Therefore  hath  the  Lord  also  destined  them  the 
one  for  the  other.  He,  who  created  the  food,  also 
created  the  mouth  to  eat  it.  He,  who  gave  the 
Word,  also  brought  to  light  through  regeneration 
that  new^  life  which  can  only  be  fed  and  strength- 
ened by  the  food  of  that  Word. 

They  are  related  and  by  origin  stand  in  a  close 
relation  to  each  other.  The  Word  works  and 
strengthens  the  spiritual  life.  And  the  spiritual 
life,  by  virtue  of  its  nature,  is  naturally  drawn 
toward  and  longs  for  this  food,  even,  as  an  infant 
for  its  mother's  breast,  as  the  hungry  for  bread  and 
the  thirsty  for  water. 

Furthermore  they  are  both  descended  from  one 
Spirit.  In  the  sphere  of  natural  things  there  is  a 
possibility  of  knowledge  only  because  the  reason 
in  us  and  the  thoughts  in  the  creation,  together 
and  in  their  mutual  relation,  have  been  made  by 
that  Word  which  in  the  beginning  w^as  with  God, 
which  w^as  God,  and  by  which  all  things  have  been 


40  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

made.  It  is  one  aud  the  same  light  that  enlightens 
both  the  eye  and  the  objects.  One  and  the  same 
light  of  knowledge  shines  in  the  human  reason  and 
in  the  works  of  God's  hand.  And  then  only,  does 
man  see  and  know,  when  both  of  these  streams  of 
light,  coming  from  one  fountain,  meet  each  other. 
With  Thee,  O  Lord,  is  the  fountain  of  life ;  in  Thy 
light  shall  w^e  see  light! 

Thus,  also  the  spiritual  man  and  the  Word  of 
the  Spirit  belong  together.  It  is  the  same  Si)irit, 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  namely,  who  brought  the  \Voi*(l 
into  existence  and  preserves  it  in  existence,  and 
who  made  the  spiritual  man  to  be  born  in  us.  In 
Holy  Writ  He  has,  as  it  were,  pictured  Christ  unto 
and  before  our  eyes;  and  in  our  heart  He  makes 
Him  live  by  faith.  In  Holy  Writ  He  has  sketchcMl 
for  us  the  image  of  Christ  and  according  to  that 
image  He  recreates  the  believer  more  and  mon^ 
For  we  all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same 
image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Si)irit  of 
the  Lord. 

Therefore  it  is  an  infallible,  undeceivable  mark 
of  spiritual  life,  when  our  heart  yearns  after  and 
longs  for  that  Word.  Perfectly  natural  and  as  a 
matter  of  fact  the  hungry  longs  for  bread  and  the 
thirsty  for  w^ater  and  the  sick  for  medicine.  And 
just  as  naturally,  the  spiritual  man  longingly 
reaches  for  the  Word  of  God  and  for  (/hrist  who  is 
offered  unto  him  in  that  Word.  He  never  gi\)ws 
beyond  that  Word,  as  the  mystic  dreams;  he  does 
not  use  that  Word  as  a  ladder  to  ascend  to  a  cer- 
tain height,  then  to  spread  his  own  wings  and  sup- 
port himself.     Nay  indeed,  h(^  who  does  this  will 


THE  RULE   OF  CONFESSION.  41 

soon  be  humiliated  and  put  to  shame.  He,  who 
refuses  food  will  soon  starve.  He,  who  has  no  re- 
spect for  the  Word  of  Christ  does  not  love  the 
J^ord.  He,  who  casts  away  the  medicine  has  no 
need  of  a  physician. 

But  the  spiritual  man,  as  long  as  he  lives  and 
with  his  whole  soul,  feels  himself  bound  to  that 
Word  as  the  medium  unto  the  communion  and  fel- 
lowship with  Crod,  because  God,  even  God,  has 
bound  Himself  to  that  ^^'ord.  The  more  he  grows 
and  the  stronger  he  becomes,  the  more  he  becomes 
founded  in  that  Word.  He  clings  and  cleaves  to  it 
even  as  the  ivy  to  the  wall.  He  leans  upon  it  as 
upon  the  rod  and  staff  of  his  pilgrimage.  He  be- 
comes more  and  uiore  attached  to  it,  also  more  and 
more  bound  to  it.  His  love  for  it  becomes  stronger 
and  stronger.  His  estimation  of  its  worthiness 
continually  becomes  greater  and  he  constantly 
finds  new  and  richer  treasures  in  it  for  his  heart 
and  life.  More  and  more  it  becomes  for  him  a 
Word  of  God,  a  word  that  comes  unto  him  from 
the  Almighty  Lord,  a  letter  from  his  Father  sent 
unto  him  from  Heaven,  to  be  a  guide  upon  the  way 
to  the  Father's  house  with  its  many,  many  man- 
sions. Th}^  Word  is  a  light  upon  my  path  and  a 
lamp  for  my  foot.  How  love  I  Thy  law,  O  Lord,  it 
is  my  meditation  all  the  day. 

Therefore  every  child  of  the  covenant,  even  from 
his  sleeping  infancy,  must  and  ought  to  be  fed  by 
his  parents  with  that  word.  We  cannot,  if  it  is 
done  with  wisdom,  begin  too  soon.  Already  the 
respectful  attitude  of  the  older  ones  at  the  time  of 
prayer  and  the  reading  of  God's  Word  awakens  in 
the  heart  of  the  child  a  feeling  of  the  sacredness 


42  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

of  this  service,  a  feeling  which  very  often  remains 
with  him  unto  the  last  years  of  his  life.  The  short 
prayer,  before  and  after  each  meal,  and  at  the  time 
of  retiring  and  awakening,  implanted  in  the  child's 
heart  very  often  leaves  impressions  that  are  not  to 
be  blotted  out  and  even  in  after  life  make  us  still 
remember  the  pious  years  of  our  youth.  Certainly 
we  do  not  have  to  wait  with  teaching  our  little 
children  religious  words  and  prayers  until  they 
can  understand  the  facts,  as  if  otherwise  we  were 
only  making  little  hypocrites  of  them,  for  we  learn 
the  facts  by  and  through  words  even  as  we  learn 
words  by  and  through  facts;  the  one  assists  the 
other.  And  in  general  there  is  a  remarkable  re- 
semblance between  the  feeling  of  dependence  and 
humilitv  which  is  a  child's  bv  nature  and  the  state 
or  spirit  in  which  the  Lord  God  loves  to  see  us  and 
which  is  most  pleasing  unto  Him.  If  we  do  not 
become  like  unto  little  children  we  shall  in  no  wise 
enter  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

But  then  this  bringing  of  God's  Word  unto  the 
children  must,  at  the  same  time,  be  both  instruc- 
tion and  training,  at  the  same  time  working  upon 
mind  and  heart,  and  together  influencing  botli 
knowledge  and  actions.  We  must  watch  against 
the  extremes,  both  of  orthodoxy  and  pietism.  Re- 
ligion is  not  only  knowledge  but  also  life;  man  has 
not  only  consciousness  but  also  feeling  and  will. 
In  His  law  God  requires  that  we  shall  serve  Him 
not  with  our  whole  mind  only,  but  also  with  our 
whole  heart,  and  soul,  and  all  power  shall  w^e  love 
Him. 

Instruction  therefore  must  take  place — instruc- 
tion in   the  doctrines  of  tli(^  truth,  carefullv  and 


THE   RULE   OF  CONFESSION.  43 

exactly,  !su  that  pure  representations,  clear  ideas, 
and  correct  judgments  may  be  implanted  in  the 
child,  and  an  essential  knowledge  of  the  truth  may 
be  formed  in  its  consciousness  or  mind.  The  cul- 
tivation of  emotions  and  the  awakening  of  affec- 
tions without  true  and  clear  representations  is  even 
dangerous;  it  is  detrimental  to  the  truth,  opens  the 
door  for  falsehood  and  errors  and  is  very  often  the 
cause  of  great  and  gross  excesses. 

But  nevertheless  clear  representations  and  pure 
ideas  are  not  sufficient.  But  indeed,  hardly  any- 
where and  especially  in  the  religious  sphere,  it  is 
almost  an  utter  impossibility  to  obtain  and  possess 
these  without  being  influenced  in  our  disposition 
and  heart.  For,  a  right  understanding  and  an  es- 
sential knowledge  is  never  obtained  without  the 
heart.  In  all  learning  there  must  of  necessity  be 
attention,  interest,  love;  if  we  do  not  know  a  cer- 
tain thing  we  do  not  love  it,  we  really  and  in  truth 
only  know  that  which  we  love  in  the  deepest  depths 
of  our  souls. 

The  training,  the  ])ringing  up  of  a  child  does 
not,  therefore,  follow  upon  instruction.  We  are 
not  first  to  work  upon  the  mind  and  then  after- 
wards turn  to  the  heart.  We  are  not  to  implant 
pure  and  clear  ideas  of  the  truth  into  the  mind, 
hoping  that  tliey  will  afterwards  be  accepted  with 
a  true  faith  of  the  heart,  then  to  influence  the  life 
and  actions.  Nay  indeed,  but  from  the  very  begin- 
ning, training,  bringing  up  and  instruction  must 
go  hand  in  hand.  The  instruction  itself  ought 
always  to  bear  a  training,  a  pedagogical  character. 
The  truth  of  God  is  of  such  a  nature  that  it  can- 
not be  understod  rightly  without  a  true  and  up- 


44  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

right  faitli  of  tlie  heart.  He,  who  impresses  the 
triitli  np(3n  his  mind,  witliout  having  his  heart  in  it, 
receives  only  the  image  of  the  things,  while  he  re- 
mains a  stranger  unto  the  things  themselves. 

Therefore  the  influencing  of  mind  and  will,  the 
preparing  to  know  and  do,  the  supptying  of  pure, 
clear  representations,  and  the  awakening  of  atfec- 
tions  and  emotions  should  always  go  together.  We 
may  not  separate  the  words  from  the  facts,  neither 
the  facts  from  the  words.  For  God  has  united 
these  two.  He  binds  Himself  to  give  unto  ever^^- 
one,  who  in  truth  believes  the  Word,  the  thing  sig- 
nified thereby.  He,  who  knows  God  in  the  face  of 
Christ,  has  eternal  life.  When  we  therefore  speak 
of  God,  of  Christ,  etc.,  then  these  names  may  not 
])e  mere  sounds  unto  us,  but  we  must  think  of  Them 
who  are  represented  thereby.  Then  the  Gospel  be- 
comes rich;  then  it  is  not  an  abstract  system  of 
doctrines,  but  a  world  of  invisible,  eternal  treas- 
ures, which  are  signified  and  sealed,  indicated  and 
granted  unto  us  therein. 

When  in  this  way,  in  Itonic  and  .^cJiooI  and 
catechism,  instruction  and  training  united  with 
truth  work  together,  then  we  may  expect,  that,  with 
the  blessing  of  the  Lord  the  spiritual  life  will  come 
1o  development  and  maturity,  l)looming  forth  into 
faith  and  conversion,  and  finally  manifest  itself 
externally  in  a  confession  with  mouth  and  heart. 

It  alwavs  remains  true  however,  that  the  in- 
crease  must  come  from  above.  If  the  Lord  does 
not  build  the  house,  then  the  laborers  work  thereon 
in  vain.  Parents  and  teachers  and  ministers  are 
nothing  but  instruments  in  His  hand.  He  is  the 
(»nly,  true  Father  and  Trainer  of  His  children,  who 


thp:  rule  of  confession.  45 

feeds  and  leads,  preserves  and  protects,  strengthens 
and  perfects  them.  Not  needing  to  be  served  by  the 
hand  of  man,  He  Himself  gives  unto  all,  life,  breath 
and  all  things.  He  governs  and  regulates  the' 
power  of  the  Word  and  the  working  of  the  Spirit. 
Jesus  is  the  vine,  and  the  l)elievers  are  the 
branches,  and  the  Heavenly  Father  is  the  Hus- 
bandman. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Essence  of  Confession. 

//  thoti  shall  confess  with  thy 
mouth  the  Lord  Jesus  and  shalt 
believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath 
raised  Him  from  the  dead,  thou 
shalt  be  saved.  For  zvith  the  heart 
man  believeth  unto  righteousness 
and  zvith  the  mouth  confession  is 
made  unto  salvation. 

Romans  lo :  9,  10. 

Evervthiug-  that  lives  and  grows  lias  need  of 
lime.  A  machine  can  quickly,  in  a  few  moments, 
be  put  together.  But  life  and  growth  are  not  to  be 
forced.  Artificial  promotion  of  growth  produces 
or  brings  forth  hot  house  plants  which  are  not  able 
to  withstand  storm  and  tempest. 

Also,  our  spiritual  life  is  subject  to  this  law  of 
development  under  w^hich  all  organical  beings  have 
been  created.  Holy  Writ  admits  of  various  and 
manifold  differences  amongst  the  children  of  God. 
It  speaks  of  lambs  and  sucklings  in  the  sheepfold 
of  Jesus ;  it  makes  mention  of  children,  of  youths, 
and  of  Fathers  in  the  faith ;  it  makes  a  distinction 
between  those  w^ho  are  still  under  age  and  those 
^  ho  have  already  attained  their  majority  and  in 
connection  herewith  also  between  the  milk  and  the 

46 


THE   ESSENCE  OF   CONFESSION.  47 

strong  meat  of  the  truth,  which  must  be  admin- 
istered unto  the  believers.  Again  and  again  we  are 
admonished  and  exhorted,  to  grow  in  the  knowl- 
edge and  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  put  on 
the  new  man  created  after  God  in  true  righteous- 
ness and  holiness,  to  become  strengthened  in  the 
inward  man  and  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  our  minds. 

Even  as  the  natural,  so  also,  must  the  spiritual 
life  be  developed.  It  may  not  remain  hid  from  man, 
neither  may  it,  as  a  treasure,  be  buried  in  the  earth, 
nor  can  it  be  consigned  to  inactivity.  Life  is  a 
stranger  to  all  indolence  and  idleness.  Life  is  exer- 
tion, life  is  power,  life  is  action,  everything  that 
lives^  moves  and  develops  itself.  In  its  growth  it 
can  be  hindered  and  checked,  but  as  long  as  life  is 
there,  action  is  inseparable  from  it.  In  a  still 
greater  measure  is  this  true  of  the  spiritual  life, 
which  is  implanted  in  regeneration  through  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  bears  an  eternal,  indestructable 
character.  Wherever  it  is,  it  reveals  itself,  it  ap- 
pears in  word  and  deed,  it  develops  into  activities 
of  faith  and  conversion  and  where  faith  is  present, 
confession  is  given  therewith  as  a  matter  of  fact. 

Confession  is  an  excellent  word  for  a  still  more 
excellent  and  glorious  fact.  But  to  a  great  extent 
and  in  a  great  measure  it  has  lost  its  beauty  and 
power  for  our  minds.  AVhen  Ave  use  it  or  hear  it 
used  by  others,  we  generally,  immediately  think  of 
the  confessional  writings  of  this  or  that  Christian 
Church,  or  we  think  of  the  public  confession,  which 
is  made,  once  in  their  lives,  by  the  youthful  mem- 
bers of  the  church  before  they  are  permitted  to  par- 
take of  the  Lord's  Supper!" 

But  these  meanings  of  the  word  '^Confession'' 


48  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

are  relative.  The  original  meaning  in  Scripture  is 
much  richer  and  deeper.  According  to  this  original 
meaning,  confessing  is  nothing  else  and  nothing 
less  than  one's  openly  and  publicly  testifying  and 
witnessing  of  personal  faith  in  Jesus  as  tlie  Christ. 

Two  things  are  then  included  in  this.  Fii\st,  a 
true,  upright  faith,  a  deep,  firm  conviction  of  heart. 
In  the  true  sense  of  the  word  no  confessing  is  pos- 
sible, if  there  is  no  faith  in  the  heart.  Confessing 
is  a  thing  of  the  heart.  It  is  rooted  in  the  heart. 
It  comes  up  out  of  the  lieart.  It  is  a  fruit  of  the 
faith  of  the  heart.  Without  that  faith,  confessing 
becomes  a  worthless  work  of  the  lips,  an  exterual 
repetition  with  the  mouth,  an  impersonal,  untrue, 
hypocritical  work,  which  is  not  worthy  of  the  beau- 
tiful name,  confession;  an  act  refuted  and  con- 
demned by  Christ  with  holy  wrath  in  the  Phari- 
saism of  His  day.  All  such  dissemblers  are  like 
unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed  appear  beau- 
tiful without,  but  within  are  full  of  dead  men's 
bones,  and  of  all  uncleanness. 

But  in  the  second  place  there  is  included  in  the 
true  confessing,  the  fact,  that  the  faith  of  the  heart 
is  not  ashamed  of  itself  but  reveals  itself  in  openly 
and  publicly  testifying  and  witnessing.  He,  who 
does  not  believe,  cannot  confess.  But  he,  who  does 
believe  in  truth  and  uprightness,  must  confess;  he 
cannot  remain  silent;  he  must  speak  to  the  ear  of 
friend  and  enemy,  before  the  face  of  God,  of  angels, 
and  of  men.  Whatever  insult,  disgrace,  and  scorn 
may  follow,  whatever  hatred,  and  persecution  it 
may  awaken,  He,  who  believes,  spc^aks:  loud,  power- 
ful, free.    We  believe,  therefore  we  speak. 

Jeremiah  by  his  prophesying  made  himself  a 


THE    ESSENCE   OF    CONFESSION.  49 

mock  and  derision  in  the  midst  of  his  people,  but 
nevertheless  he  could  not  keep  silent.  The  Lord 
constrained  him,  was  too  strong  for  him  and 
triumphed  over  him.  Although  he  said,  I  will  not 
make  mention  of  Him,  nor  speak  any  more  in  His 
name,  tlie  Word,  which  the  Lord  put  in  his  heart, 
became  as  a  burning  fire  shut  up  in  his  bones. 
When  the  lion  roars,  Avho  will  not  fear?  When  tlie 
I>ord  speaks,  who  will  not  prophesy? 

Believing  witli  the  heart  and  confessing  with 
tlie  mouth  tlierefore  accompany  each  other,  and  b<^- 
long  inseparably  together.  He,  who  believes  aii<l 
does  not  confess,  is  just  as  mucli  in  contra<lictiou 
with  the  law  of  Ood  as  he,  who  confesses  and  do-"^ 
not  believe.  Botli  are  necessary,  said  a  certain 
church  Father,  a  true,  firm  faith  and  a  free  confes- 
sion, so  that  the  lieart  may  be  ornauu'uted  with  the 
certainty  of  faith  and  the  tongue  may  fearlesslx 
confess  the  trutli.  And  anotlier  hath  witnessed  :  Tlu^ 
heart  has  need  of  the  mouth,  for  wluit  fruit  can  it 
bring  forth,  to  believe  with  the  heart,  without  pub- 
licly confessing  before  men?  The  faith  of  the  heart 
may  justify,  the  perfect  salvation  nevertheless, 
lieth  in  confession.  Tiien  only  does  faith  sliine 
when  it  reveals  itself  in  confessing,  and  then  only 
are  many  benefited  and  profited  by  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  mouth  has  need  of  the  heart,  for 
many  there  are  wlio  confess  Christ  but  whose 
hearts  are  far  from  Hiui. 

Thus  also  s])eaks  the  Apostle  Paul,  when  h(* 
says,  that  the  fnith  of  the  heart  grants  righteous- 
ness but  that  tlie  confession  of  the  mouth  must  a-c- 
company  it  to  obtain  salvntiou.  To  be  sure,  it  is 
true   that   these   two   cannot   be   sei)arated   in   our 

PROPERTY  OF 
ZAREPHATH  LIBRARY 


50  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

thoughts,  no  more  than  the  confession  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  can  be  separated  from  the  faith  in  His  resur- 
rection. Faith  and  confession  are  as  inseparably 
bound  together  as  the  Lordship  of  Jesus  and  His 
resurrection  from  the  dead;  as  inseparably,  as 
righteousness  and  salvation.  But  nevertheless,  is 
it  true — and  that  is  what  the  Apostle  Paul  wishes 
to  make  known  —  that,  although  the  faith  of  the 
heart  justifies,  nevertheless  this  faith  is  first  known 
and  proves  itself  to  be  the  true,  justifying  faith, 
when  it  reveals  itself  in  confession.  Faith,  not 
confession,  justifies.  But  that,  this  faith  is  the  true 
faitJi  first  becomes  evident  in  the  confessing.  TIk* 
true,  justifying  faith  only  leads  unto  salvation  n\ 
the  way  of  confession.  AA'ithout  holiness  shall  no 
one  see  God.  Without  confession,  as  fruit  of  faitli, 
shall  no  one  enter  Heaven.  Confession  is  not  tlic 
meriting  cause  but  it  is  the  royal,  the  kingly  way 
unto  salvation. 

Faith  and  confession  therefore  also  exert  an  in 
fluence  upon  each  other  and  are  a  mutual  pro]) 
and  support.  The  faith  that  does  not  confess  be- 
comes shy,  timid,  retracts,  begins  to  pine  away,  or 
is  sometimes  even  discovered  in  its  falseness  and 
unfaithfulness.  And  the  confession  without  faitli 
is  nothing  more  than  a  flower  without  a  stem,  it 
withers  and  falls  to  pieces.  On  the  other  hand, 
by  and  through  confessing,  faith  gains  in  strength, 
power,  and  vitality,  becomes  more  firmly  founded, 
and  shoots  its  roots  deeper  and  deeper  into  th(^ 
ground  of  the  heart  and  by  and  through  faith,  con- 
fessing receives  its  animation  and  fire,  gains  iu 
courage  and  freeness,  and  as  by  a  secret,  invisible 
flame  it  is  constantly  preserved  and  fed. 


THE    ESSENCE   OF    CONFESSION.  51 

From  this  it  then  also  follows,  that  the  so-called 
public  confession  of  faith  is  not  a  loose,  separated 
fact,  which  takes  place  once  and  thereAvith  is  con- 
cluded forever.  Such  an  interpretation  is  still  pos- 
sessed and  found  witli  many.  A  few  weeks  before- 
liand  they  x>repare  themselves  for  the  solemn  hour 
of  confession.  Durino-  this  preparatory  season 
they  withdraw  and  will  hold  themselves  from  pub- 
lic amusements.  More  regularly  they  attend  cliurch 
and  catechism.  On  the  day  of  confession  they  ap- 
pear in  a  new  frock  or  suit.  Probably  after  this, 
they  once  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  But  then 
(everything  is  forgotten.  Life  resumes  its  former 
old  course  and  proceeds  as  if  nothing  whatever  had 
taken  place. 

Such  confessing  is  not  in  any  way  worthy  of 
the  name,  confession.  It  does  not  stand  higher 
than  this:  A  work,  which  was  accepted,  being 
finished,  is  delivered.  Such  a  confession  is  nothing 
nu)re  than  an  old  custom,  which  is  kept  up  and  fol- 
h)Aved  unconsciously  and  thoughtlessly. 

Such  a  work,  such  an  action  is  not  making  con- 
fession of  faith.  Confessing  is  much  richer  of 
meaning  and  much  greater  in  significance.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  an  earnest  matter  and  a  solemn,  im- 
pressive hour  when  youthful  members  for  the  first 
time  in  the  midst  of  the  congregation  make  con- 
fession of  their  personal  faith.  It  is  a  mile  post 
upon  the  way  of  life,  the  coming  to  majority  of  the 
minor  child,  the  entering  in  unto  all  the  rights  and 
privileges  granted  by  Christ  to  His  believers.  Uut<» 
that  affirmative  answer,  which  aac  then  gi^•e  we  are 
bound  for  time  and  eternity,  (iod  holds  us  firmly 
unto  that  and  will  one  day  judge  us  according  to  it. 


52  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

Christ  keeps  it  in  remembrance  and  will  one  day 
call  for  an  account  of  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  will  keep 
and  preserve  it  in  our  minds  and  remembrance  and 
will  refer  and  point  us  to  it  again  and  again,  even 
unto  the  hour  of  death,  yea,  even  unto  all  eternity. 
It  shall  one  day,  in  the  day  of  days,  testify  for  us 
and  if  not,  then  against  us— it  Avill  fly  up  in  our 
face  and  make  our  condemnation  the  heavier. 

But  this  confessing  of  our  faith  is  not  a  matter, 
an  action,  a  work  whicli  stands  by  itself  and  wliicli 
sustains  no  relation  to  our  preceding  and  follow- 
ing life.  It  is  not  a  sacrament  as  the  churcli  of 
Rome  has  made  it.  It  bears  in  itself  no  special, 
supernatural  holiness.  It  is  not,  as  it  were  by  a 
fence,  separated  from  the  sphere  of  unconsecrated 
life.  It  does  not  incorporate  us  into  a  new  com 
pan3^,  into  a  special  rank  and  file  amongst  tlic 
soldiers  under  Christ  Jesus  as  King.  However  im- 
portant and  however  earnest  the  making  of  public 
confession  may  be  it  does  not  stand  disconnected, 
by  itself,  but  is  closely  related  to  and  in  the  closest 
way  it  is  connected  with  our  preceding  and  follow- 
ing confessions. 

This  one  public  confession  is  preceded  by  a  daily 
confession.  All  faith  confesses,  be  it,  according  to 
its  own  measure,  in  its  own  manner  and  in  its  own 
language.  The  faith  of  the  playing  child,  of  the 
happy  and  cheerful  boy,  of  the  lively  youth  also 
confesses — in  its  own  way  and  manner!!  If  faitli 
is  only  of  the  true  caliber,  if  there  is  only  true, 
childlike  fear  of  God  in  the  heart,  it  always^  comes 
to  light  and  makes  its  appearance.  It  reveals  it- 
self and  we  can  see  and  behold  it  in  the  piousness 
of  desires,  in  the  uprightness  of  mind,  in  the  tender- 


THE   ESSENCE   OF   CONFESSION.  t)3 

ness  of  heart,  in  the  respect  for  things  holy  antl 
sacred,  in  the  pleasure  to  pray,  in  the  fear  of  what 
is  evil  and  wicked,  in  the  holding  back  of  them- 
selves and  others  from  what  is  not  right  but  sinful. 
Confessing!  that  is  what  our  children  do  even  from 
their  infancy  and  their  confessions  are  pleasing 
unto  the  ear  of  God. 

Nevertheless,  what  saith  the  Scriptures?  Let 
the  little  children  come  unto  Me  and  hinder  them 
not,  for  theirs  is  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Because 
the  name  of  the  Lord  is  excellent  in  all  the  eartli 
He  ordains  strength  out  of  tlie  mouth  of  babes  and 
sucklings  that  He  may  still  the  enemy  and  the 
avenger.  The  small  and  weak  is  chosen  by  the 
Lord  to  put  to  shame  thereby  the  great  and  mighty. 
Children  in  their  simplicity,  in  their  uprightness, 
in  their  guilelessness  and  humility  are  proclaimers 
of  the  glory  and  excellency  of  God,  which  is  shed 
abroad  throughout  the  whole  earth  and  which  1ms 
revealed  itself  the  brightest  in  Christ. 

And  even  as  the  making  of  public  confession  is 
preceded  by  a  confession  from  infancy,  so  also  is 
and  must  it  be  folloifed  by  a  confession  throughout 
the  whole  life,  even  unto  the  hour  of  death. 

It  is  true,  the  public  confession  in  the  midst  of 
the  congregation  is,  in  the  first  place,  to  obtain  per- 
mission unto  the  table  of  the  Lord.  It  opens  the 
access  unto  the  table  of  the  covenant.  And  thus  it 
appears  to  separate  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per from  each  other.  But  indeed  and  in  truth  this 
is  not  so,  it  rather  binds  and  holds  them  together. 

And  thus  it  also  ought  to  be.  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  are  sacraments  of  the  same  worth 
and  worthiness.     They  have  the  same  power  and 


r»l  Tin:   SACKIFK'K   OF    ['UAISl::. 

signiticaiice.  They  are  signs  and  seals  of  the  same 
covenant.  Both  of  tlieni  with  the  Word  are  ap- 
pointed and  ordained  tliereto,  that  tliey  direct  our 
faith  to  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ  on  the  cross, 
as  to  the  one  ground  and  foundation  of  our  salva- 
tion. These  two  sacraments  are  also  given  and 
granted  unto  the  same  believers.  In  the  New  Testa- 
ment baptism  was  mostly  administered  unto 
adults ;  confession  therefore  preceded  baptism ;  lu* 
who  was  baptized  liad  access  immediately  unto  th(^ 
Lord's  table. 

But  when  infant  baptism  became  the  general 
practice  there  naturally  and  gradually  came  a 
separation.  To  l)e  sure,  baptism  can  be  admin- 
istered unto  children  of  the  covenant  for  it  is  the 
sacrament  of  regeneration  and  incorporation  into 
the  Church  of  Christ.  But  tlie  Lord's  Supper  sup- 
poses, that  we  ourselves  accept  tlie  broken  bread 
and  eat,  that  we  ourselves  receive  the  cup  and 
drink.  The  right  use  of  the  Lord's  Supper  ought 
to  be  and  must  be  preceded  tlierefore  by  the  ability 
to  examine  and  prove  ourselves  and  discern  the 
body  of  the  Lord.  It  is  the  sacrament  of  the  in- 
creasing and  upbuilding  of  the  spiritual  life  in  the 
communion  and  fellowship  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
is  therefor  also  repeated  from  time  to  time. 

Consequently  confession  gradually  took  in  a 
place  between  l)aptism  and  communion,  not  to  sepa- 
rate them  but  just  the  reverse,  to  hold  them  in  their 
mutual  relation  and  to  lead  from  baptism  to  com- 
munion. Confession  supposes  baptism  and  pre- 
pares for  communion.  In  confession  the  baptized 
child  acce])ts  its  own  baptism  and  desires  to  re- 
c(Mve  jK'cess  to  the  second  sign  and  seal  of  the  cov- 


THE    ESSENCE   OF    CONFESSION.  5o 

enant.  Out  of  grace  (lod  accepted  and  adopted 
him  an  His  child,  and  now  he,  having  come  to  year.s 
of  understanding  and  discretion  and  to  conscious- 
ness of  his  life  and  duty,  humbly  and  childlike  but 
also  believingiy  and  sure,  confesses  before  all  men 
that  God  is  His  God.  He  puts  his  hand  in  the 
hand  of  God.  Freely  and  with  clear  consciousness 
lie  admits  and  accepts  the  covenant  relation  in 
wliich  he  was  accepted  from  his  birth.  Upon  the 
affirmation  of  the  Lord :  I  am  your  (lOd.  He  now 
answers:  And  I  am  Thy  servant,  a  son  of  thine 
handmaid,  Thou  hast  loosed  my  bonds.  God  trains 
and  brings  up  all  of  His  children  unto  liberty  and 
self-dependence.  In  the  day  of  His  power  He  de- 
sires a  willing  people.  We  love  Him  because  He 
first  loved  us. 

That  is  what  the  believer  proclaims,  when  in 
the  solemn  hour  of  his  confession,  he  is  given  access 
to  the  Supper  of  the  Lord.  Of  that  he  also  makes 
confession,  when  with  the  congregation  he  sits  at 
the  table  of  the  Lord.  In  the  sacrament  the  em- 
phasis, in  the  first  place,  is  certainly  laid  upon 
what  God  does,  upon  His  gift,  upon  His  grace. 
Therein,  He  offers  unto  us  the  Christ  with  all  the 
profits  and  benefits  merited  by  Him.  The  Lord's 
Supper  was  specifically  instituted  by  our  Savior 
Jesus  Christ  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  and  pre- 
serving those  whom  He  had  already  regenerated 
and  incorporated  into  His  family,  which  is  His 
Church.  It  is  His  flesh  that  w^e  eat,  and  His  blood 
that  we  drink  wdth  the  mouth  of  faith,  for  the 
strengthening  of  our  spiritual  life. 

But  then,  in  the  second  place,  the  sacrament  is 
from  our  side  a  confession  of  faith.     The  Lord's 


56  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

Supper  is  preceded  by  the  true  proving  and  ex- 
amining of  ourselves,  whic'li  consists  in  three 
things. 

First  we  are  to  consider  by  ourselves  our  sins 
and  the  curse  due  unto  us  for  them,  to  the  end  that 
we  may  abhor  and  humble  ourselves  before  God. 
Secondly,  we  are  to  examine,  our  own  hearts 
^^'hether  we  do  believe  this  faithful  promise  of  God, 
that  all  our  sins  are  forgiven  us,  only  for  the  sake 
of  the  passion  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ  and  that 
the  perfect  righteousness  of  Christ  is  imputed  and 
freely  given  unto  us  as  our  own.  Finally,  we  are 
to  examine  our  own  conscience  \\']»ether  we  pur 
pose  henceforth  to  show  true  thankfulness  to  God 
in  our  whole  life,  and  to  walk  uprightly  before 
Him. 

\^liat  a  significant  confession  we  therefore  make 
when  we  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper  I  AVe  do  not 
come  to  it  to  testify  that  we  are  perfect  and  right- 
eous in  ourselves;  Init  on  the  ccmtrary,  consider- 
ing that  we  seek  our  life  out  of  ourselves  in  Jesus 
Christ,  we  acknowledge  that  we  lie  in  the  midst  of 
death.  We  confess  in  this  sacrament  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  true  meat  and  drink  of  our  souls,  and 
that  we  are  members  of  His  bod}'.  For  it  is  one 
bread,  thus  we,  being  many,  are  one  body,  for  Ave 
all  are  partakers  of  one  bread. 

However  that  Supper  of  the  Lord  does  not 
stand  far  without  and  highly  exalted  above  our 
life.  Certainly  it  is  extraordinary  in  this  sense, 
that  every  time  and  anew  we  are  met  in  this  sacra- 
ment  by  God's  specific  grace,  and  it  is  revealed  in 
a  particular  way  unto  our  eyes  and  assured  unto 
our  hearts.      Very   often   the  Lord's   Supper   also 


'VllK    KSSEXCK    OF    CONFESSION.  5< 

^:eems  strange  autl  wondrous  to  us,  because  it  is 
only  celebrated  a  few  times  in  a  year  and  then  not 
faithfully  and  not  nejudy  by  all.  But  the  grace 
which  is  granted  unto  us  in  this  sacrament  is  no 
other  than  that  which  constanth'  accompanies  tlie 
>\'ord  of  the  Gospel  and  feeds  us  day  by  day.  In 
the  first  Christian  congregations  therefore  tlie 
Lord's  8ui3per  was  celebrated  not  only  every  Sab- 
bath but  also  at  the  weekly  meetings  of  the  be- 
lievers. It  was  tlie  height  of  their  service,  the  com- 
munion of  saints,  the  sustenance  wliicli  they  re- 
ceived every  time  for  their  pilgrimage. 

In  the  Lord's  Supper  is  signified  and  sealed  the 
communion  and  fellow  ship  of  Christ,  which  we,  at 
all  times,  possess  in  the  Word,  and  enjoy  through 
faitli.  And  of  that  faith  we  not  only  witness  and 
testify  when  we  sit  at  the  table  of  the  covenant, 
neither  only  on  Sunday,  wiien  with  the  congrega- 
tion we  go  up  to  the  house  of  prayer. 

But,  as  surely  as  we  are  true  believers,  w^e  make 
confession  of  that  faith  throughout  our  whole  life. 
I-'or  faitJi  cannot  do  otherw^ise,  it  must  confess.  It 
does  not  ask  whether  good  works  ought  to  be  and 
must  be  done,  but  before  the  question  can  arise  it 
has  already  done  them.  Confession  with  moutli 
and  lieart,  with  word  and  deed,  in  life  and  walk  is 
inseparable  from  the  faith  of  the  heart.  It  is  the 
fruit  of  the  tree,  the  scent  of  the  flower,  the  light 
of  the  sun,  the  sw^eetness  of  the  honey.  It  is  im- 
possible, that  anyone  implanted  into  Christ  by  a 
true  faith  should  not  bring  forth  fruits  of  grati- 
tude. 

He  who  believes,  confesses,  not  only  on  Sunday 
but  also  during  the  w^eek,  not  onh^  in  the  church 


58  THE  SACRIFICE  OP  PRAISE. 

but  also  in  tlie  home  and  school,  in  shop  and  fac- 
tory, in  ofticc  and  store,  in  civil  and  social  life,  in 
learning  and  science,  ann)nnst  friends  and  enemies, 
before  anoeis  and  mt^i. 

He  confesses  in  npholdino-  and  supporting  the 
public  service  of  tlie  church,  in  acts  of  Christian 
assistance,  in  the  supporting-  of  Christian  instruc- 
tion, in  the  caring  for  the  poor,  in  the  visiting  of 
llie  bound  and  imprisoned,  in  the  clothing  of  the 
naked,  in  the  feeding  of  the  hungry,  in  the  com- 
forting of  tlie  weeping,  in  admonishing  the  unruly, 
in  exhorting  the  disputers  and  unbelievers,  in 
giving  account  of  the  hope  which  is  in  him,  in  keep- 
ing himself  unspotted  from  the  world. 

He  who  believes,  confesses.  His  life  itself  be- 
comes a  confession,  a  living,  holy,  God-pleasing 
sacrifice  in  Christ  Jesus. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Contents  of  Confession. 

And  Philip  said,  If  thou  believ- 
est  zmth  all  thine  heart,  thou 
mayest,  and  he  ansivered  and  said, 
I  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
Son  of  God.    Acts  8:37. 

According  to  Holy  Writ  two  things  especially 
constitute  the  contents  of  confession. 

In  the  first  place  every  true  confession  contains 
an  acknowledgment  of  our  guilt  and  sin.  In  the 
days  of  the  Old  Testament,  upon  the  great  day  of 
propitiation  the  High  Priest  was  obliged  to  lay 
both  of  his  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  living  goat, 
confessing  thereover  all  the  unrighteousness  of  the 
children  of  Israel  and  all  their  transgressions,  of 
whatever  nature  their  sins  might  be,  and  therewith 
laying  them  upon  the  head  of  the  goat  send  him 
away  into  the  wilderness. 

That  was  a  common,  a  general  confession  made 
by  the  High  Priest,  in  the  name  of  the  whole  nation. 
But  this  common,  general  confession  did  not  ex- 
clude the  persona],  individual  confession  of  sins. 
For,  this  personal,  individual  confession  is  heard 
again  and  again  in  the  books  of  the  old  covenant, 
especially  in  the  so-called  penitential  psalms.  It 
also  forms  an  important  part  of  the  prayers  of  the 

59 


00  Tin:  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

saints,  of  David  aiul  {Solomon,  of  Isaiah  and  Jere- 
i.iiali  and  Daniel. 

Tlieic  is  not  a  pc^oplo  or  nation  in  the  world 
tliat  lias  UAt  so  deeply,  and  has  confessed  so  hnmbly 
the  liiiilt  of  sin  as  the  children  of  Israel.  Mine 
iniquities  have  taken  hold  upon  me,  so  that  I  am 
not  able  to  look  up;  the^^  are  more  than  the  hairs 
(;f  mine  head.  There  is  no  rest  in  my  bones  be- 
cause of  my  sin,  for  mine  inicpiities  are  gone  over 
mine  head;  as  an  heavy  burden  they  are  too  heavy 
for  me.  Enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  ser- 
vant :  for  in  tliy  sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justi- 
fied. If  thou,  Lord,  shouldst  mark  iniquities,  O 
Lord,  who  shall  stand. 

And  this  confession  of  sins  passes  over  into  the 
church  of  tlu^  New  Testament.  When  John  the 
Baptist  appeared  witli  the  preaching  of  repentance, 
nmuy  were  baptized  of  him  in  Jordan,  confessing 
their  sins.  Jesus  granted  unto  the  multitude  of 
sufferers  who  came  unto  Him,  yery  often  not  only 
tlie  healing  of  the  diseases  of  the  body  but  also  a 
still  greater  gift,  namely,  the  forgiveness  of  their 
sins  and  deliverance  of  their  soul.  Upon  the  lips 
of  His  disciples  He  laid  the  prayer:  Father,  for- 
give us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors.  In 
the  parable  of  the  Publican  He  shows  us  the  spirit, 
in  which  it  behooves  us  to  be  when  we  come  before 
(xod,  the  Righteousness  and  the  Holy.  The  pub- 
lican standing  afar  off  would  not  lift  up  so  much 
as  his  eyes  unto  Heaven,  but  smote*  upon  his  breast, 
saying,  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.  Certainly, 
if  we  confess  our  sins,  God  is  true  and  faithful  and 
righteous  and  v.'ill  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  cleanse 
ns  from  all  unrighteousness. 


THE    CONTENTS    OF    CONFESSION.  01 

But  however  significant  and  important,  how- 
ever necessary  this  confession  of  sins  is,  neverthe- 
less in  itself,  it  is  not  sufficient.  The  truth  or  doc- 
trine of  our  misery  does  not  stand  by  itself  but  it 
prepares  the  way  for  the  truths  or  doctrines  of  de- 
liverance and  gratitude.  Yea,  he  who  truly  realizes 
and  confesses  his  sins  and  misery,  is  already  a  be- 
liever. In  the  Lord's  days  of  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
cliism  which  treat  on  the  misery  of  man,  it  is  not 
tlie  unbeliever  but  the  Christian  who  speaks;  on(? 
wlio  in  tlje  first  division  has  already  gloried  in  his 
only  comfort  and  confessed,  that  he,  with  body  and 
soul,  botli  in  life  and  deatli,  is  no  longer  his  own 
but  liis  faithful  Savior  Jesus  Christ's. 

Tlu'  true,  upriglit  confession  of  guilt  is  already 
a  fruit  of  saving  faitli.  For  he,  who  in  truth  and 
humility  confesses  his  sins,  has  certainly  already 
sought  tlie  Lord,  has  placed  himself  before  God's 
countenance  and  finds  himself  in  the  presence  of 
the  Almighty,  and  this  he  cannot  do  but  in  the 
belief  that  the  Lord  is  merciful  and  gracious,  slow 
to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy. 

To  be  sure,  there  is  a  certain  acknowledgement 
of  sins,  which  is  without  faith.  Also  children  of 
the  world  often  come  to  consciousness  of  the  great 
miserableness  of  their  existence.  Cain  said,  ''Mv 
punishment  is  greater  than  I  can  bear,"  and  Judas 
cried  out,  ^'I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betraved 
the  innocent  blood.''  There  is  a  cry  of  despair 
which  is  not  born  of  a  contrite  heart,  but  which  is 
brought  forth  by  the  fearful  consequences  of  sin. 
There  is  a  remorse  and  hopelessness,  which  does 
not  drive  one  toward  God  but  whicli  causes  a  flee- 
ing away  from  and  a  rebelling  against  Him.    There 


G2  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

is  a  sorrow  of  the  world  which  worketh  not  a  re- 
pentance to  salvation  not  to  be  repented  of,  but 
which  worketh  death. 

But  the  true  confession  of  sins  is  entirely  dif- 
ferent than  this  cry  of  despair  and  bears  an  en- 
tirely different  character.  It  comes  up  out  of  a 
contrite  spirit,  which  is  not  despised  by  God  but 
pleasing  unto  Him.  It  has  respect  not  unto  the 
consequences  but  unto  the  essence,  unto  the  guilt 
of  sin,  because  it  displeases  God  and  is  in  contra- 
diction with  His  law.  It  consists  in  a  liearty  re- 
pentance, that  we  have  provoked  CJod  to  anger  with 
our  sins,  that  we  have  sinned  against  Plis  right- 
eousness, yea  more,  that  we  have  so  grossly  sinned 
against  His  love.  For  thus  hath  Jesus  once  said  : 
^^If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  unto  them,  tliey  had 
not  had  sin,  but  now  they  have  no  cloak  for  their 
sin.'' 

Til  is  confession  is  accompanied  with  a  sorrow 
unto  God  and  worketli  a  repentance  to  salvation 
not  to  be  repented  of.  It  is  made  before  God's 
countenance  and  holds  nothing  back  or  secret  from 
Him.  It  is  accompanied  with  and  is  born  of  a  faitli 
that  recognizes  God  not  only  to  be  righteous  but 
also  gracious  and  merciful.  It  is  also,  already  a 
confession  of  faith ;  it  is  of  and  by  or  through  and 
unto  faith.  Faith  does  not  first  take  a  beginning 
after  the  knowledge  of  misery  but  precedes  this  and 
gives  it  its  right  form.  Above  tlie  law  shines  the 
word  of  grace:  "I  am  the  Lord,  your  God."  The 
true  conversion  is  a  part  of  thankfulness  and 
gratitude. 

Therefore  Holy  \A'rit  teaches  us  that  confession, 
in  the  second  place,  contains  n  confession  of  the 


THE    CONTENTS    OF    CONFESSION.  63 

name  of  the  Lord.  Conversion  and  confession  of 
the  Lord's  name  belong  together.  For  confession 
of  that  name  signifies  the  hearty,  believing  acknowl- 
edgment that  the  Lord,  Jehovah,  is  the  God  of  the 
covenant,  who  has  revealed  Himself  as  the  faith- 
ful and  merciful  and  who  fulfills  all  of  His 
promises  of  grace  in  Christ.  He  who  repents  with 
a  true  and  upright  heart,  turns  to  God,  the  living 
God,  who  in  Christ  is  a  reconciled  Father. 

Therefore,  John  the  Baptist,  appearing  in  the 
days  of  the  New  Testament,  calls  not  only  to  re- 
pentance and  confession  of  sins,  but  also  points  to 
the  Lamb  of  God  that  beareth  awa}-  the  sin  of  the 
world.  He  was  not  a  preacher  of  the  law  and  of 
penitence  only,  but  also  a  herald  of  the  gospel  and 
a  preacher  of  faith.  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  had 
come  nigh,  had  it  not?  And  after  him  came  He, 
who  \\'dH  preferred  before  him,  whose  shoe  latchet 
he  was  not  worthy  to  unloose.  John  administered 
the  baptism  unto  a  sign  and  seal  of  the  forgiveness 
of  sins,  which  is  granted  and  obtained  in  the  way 
of  repentance. 

In  the  New  Testament  the  whole  contents  of 
the  confession  of  faith  is  constantly  taken  together 
or  expressed  in  the  few  words,  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  He,  who  con- 
fesses Him  as  such  before  man,  will  one  day  be 
confessed  bv  Him  before  His  Fatlier  which  is  in 
Heaven.  In  an  earnest,  solemn  moment  when  many 
of  Jesus'  disciples  went  back  and  no  longer  desired 
to  walk  with  Him,  He  masked  the  twelve:  "Will  ye 
also  go  away?"  But  Simon  Peter  answered  for 
them  all:  "Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go?  Thou  hast 
the  words  of  eternal  life.     And  we  believe  and  are 


(U  THE  SACRIFICE  OF   PRAISE. 

sure  that  Thou  art  that  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God."  As  soon  as  the  Eunuch  made  this  good  con- 
fession he  was  immediateh'  baptized  by  Philip.  By 
tills  confession,  that  Jesus  Christ  appeared  in  the 
lies] I,  are  the  spirits  known.  Therefore,  whosoever 
confesses  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  God  abidetli 
in  him  and  he  in  God. 

Jesus  the  promised  Messiali,  tiie  divinely 
anointed  Propliet  and  Priest  and  Kini; — tliat  is  the 
short,  tlie  brief  contents  of  the  whole  Cliristian 
faith.  It  is  tlie  pith  of  revelation,  tlie  heart  of 
Holy  Writ,  the  bone  and  marrow  of  all  confession, 
the  central  dogma  of  all  the  truths  of  salvatiim, 
the  center  of  light  from  which  all  the  streams  and 
rays  of  the  knowledge  of  God  proceed  to  the  cir- 
cumference. The  Person  of  Christ  determines  the 
essence  of  Christianity. 

AVith  this  confession  the  Church  of  Christ  ac- 
cepted its  own,  independent  place  in  the  midst  of 
Jews  and  Gentiles.  By  it,  she  was  distinguished 
and  separated  from  both.  From  out  of  it,  she  con- 
stantly came  to  a  richer  development  of  her  faith 
and  life.  At  first  everyone  was  baptized  who  made 
confession  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  After  a  while  this 
confession  was  increased  to  that  of  the  name  of  the 
Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In 
the  twelve  articles  of  our  Catholic,  undoubted. 
Christian  faith,  this  confession  receives  a  still 
greater  development.  FimiUy  in  th(»  different  con- 
fessions of  the  Christian  Church  all  of  these  articles 
have  been  more  closely  studied  and  better  ex- 
l)lained.  The  confessions  are,  as  it  were,  branches 
and  leaves  ))roceeding  from  tin*  oue  tree  which,  in 


THE    CONTENTS    OF    CONFESSION.  65 

the  belief  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  at  the  beginning 
was  planted  in  the  ground  of  the  church. 

To  be  sure,  we  find  supposed  in  this  short,  brief 
confession,  creation  and  fall,  sin  and  misery.  As 
it  were  in  a  germ,  the  whole  Person  of  Christ,  with 
His  names  and  natures,  Avith  His  offices  and  states, 
lies  comprehended  in  it.  The  whole  order  of  salva- 
tion, for  the  individual,  for  humanity,  for  the 
world  is  intricately  contained  or  included  in  it.  In 
the  Cross  of  Christ  Avhich  is  an  offense  unto  the 
Jews  and  foolishness  unto  the  Greeks;  sin  and 
grace,  law  and  gospel,  justice  and  mercy,  guilt  and 
forgiveness  are  united  and  reconciled.  At  that 
Cross,  God  and  the  world.  Heaven  and  eartli, 
angels  and  men,  peoples  and  nations  extend  to  one 
another  the  hand  of  peace.  For  by  the  Cross  of 
Christ,  God  has  reconciled  the  world  unto  Him- 
self— not  imputing  her  trespasses  unto  her,  and, 
triumphed  over  all  authority  and  powers. 

In  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  we  par- 
ticipate in  the  love  of  the  Father  and  enjoy  the 
communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Diversity  of  Confession. 

We  do  hear  them  speak  in  our 
tongues  the  wonderful  works  of 
God.    Acts  2:11. 

In  the  first  days,  the  short,  brief  confession, 
that  Jesns  was  the  Christ,  the  son  of  the  living 
God,  was  sufficient  for  the  church. 

But  this  time  of  simple,  child-like  faith  did  not 
and  could  not  continue  long.  The  opposition  from 
without  as  well  as  the  awakening  of  thought  within 
her  own  circle  compelled  the  church  to  give  more 
and  more  a  clearer  and  plainer  account  of  the  con- 
tents of  her  faith. 

And  from  that  moment  all  manner  of  differ- 
ence and  dispute  revealed  itself.  The  unity  of  con- 
fession was  soon  and  forever  lost.  Although  the 
church  and  state  in  all  times,  by  all  manner  of  com- 
pulsion tried  to  retain  the  unity  of  confession,  even 
if  it  were  but  in  appearance,  the  process  of  divid- 
ing and  separating  has  proceeded  even  unto  the 
present  day.  There  is  everywhere  discord  and  con- 
troversy amongst  Christians.  Churches  and  indi- 
viduals in  the  name  of  Christ  and  calling  upon  His 
Word  stand  in  opposition  and  enmity  to  one  an- 
other.   The  multiformity  of  the  Christian  faith  yet 

66 


THE    DIVERSITY    OF    CONFESSION.  67 

increases  continually.    A  restoration  of  unity  need 
no  longer  be  expected  in  this  world. 

In  this  division  and  separation  of  Christians 
lies  a  great  disappointment.  We  have,  have  we 
not,  only  one  God,  the  Father,  out  of  whom  are  all 
things  and  we  unto  Him,  and  only  one  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  by  and  through  whom  are  all  things  and  we 
through  Him?  The  Church  is  one  body  and  one 
spirit,  even  as  she  is  called  in  one  hope  of  her  call- 
ing, and  possesses  only  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one 
baptism.  Jesus,  Himself,  prayed  for  the  unity  of 
His  disciples,  that  the  world  might  believe  that  the 
Father  had  sent  Him.  Thus  we  might  also  expect 
that  the  confession  which  flows  from  the  lips  of 
the  Church  should  be  one. 

But  even  more  than  this,  the  existing  division 
and  separation  is  not  only  a  grievous  disappoint- 
ment, it  is  also  a  great  sin  before  God.  As  Chris- 
tians we  cannot  humble  ourselves  enough  on  ac- 
count of  it.  It  is  a  great  and  weighty  accusation 
against  us,  because  it  especially  finds  its  cause  in 
the  darkness  of  our  understandings  and  the  un- 
charitableness  of  our  hearts. 

Neither  may  this  division  and  separation  be 
alleviated  by  saying,  that  the  confessions,  which 
have  gradually  come  to  stand  side  by  side  in  the 
Christian  Church,  are  to  be  considered  as  different 
expressions  of  one  and  the  same  truth.  For  these 
confessions  do  not  differ  only  in  words  and  ex- 
pressions, in  language  and  style,  but  they  often 
stand  in  contradiction  with  each  other  respecting 
the  matter  itself,  so  that  one  confirms  what  the 
other  denies.  Election  of  grace  or  because  of  a 
foreseen  faith;  justification  by  faith  alone  or  be- 


68  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

cause  of  the  works  of  love;  the  spiritual  or  cor- 
poreal presence  of  Christ  in  His  suj)per  are  not 
different  names  for  the  same  fact,  but  they  are 
interpretations  which  contradict  each  other.  The 
diversity  of  confession  must  not  and  nisij  not  be 
confused  with  the  errors,  whicli  because  of  the 
darkness  of  our  understandings  can  creep  in.  We 
cannot  and  we  may  not  therefore  be  indifferent  or 
neutral  with  respect  to  the  confessions  which  have 
come  up  and  now  continue  to  exist  side  by  side  in 
the  Christian  Church.  We  mav  admire  the  oood 
intentions  of  those  Christians,  who  in  former  or  in 
latter  times,  have  attempted  to  preserve  or  even 
restore  this  yerj  much  desired  unity  in  the  Church 
of  Christ,  be  it  either  by  compulsory  or  by  arti- 
ficial means. 

But  nevertheless  we  must  remember  and  take 
into  consideration  that  all  of  tliese  attempts,  in 
spite  of  the  most  excellent  intentions,  have  had  no 
other  result,  than  that  the  truth  became  falsified, 
the  liberty  became  suppressed  and  very  often  the 
diversity  was  increased.  For  he,  who  out  of  im- 
partiality separates  himself  from  all  parties,  stands 
in  great  danger  of  becoming  tlie  head  of  a  new 
party  himself. 

Furtliermore  we  must  never  forget  that  God 
also  has  His  hand  in  history  and  that  He  therein 
executes  His  wise  counsel  and  judgment.  His 
providence  governs  all  things,  so  that  nothing  takes 
place  by  chance,  and  especially  not  in  the  Christian 
Church  of  which  Christ  has  in  a  specific  sense  been 
anointed  Head  and  King  by  the  Father.  The  ever 
increasing  divisions  and  separations  in  Christen- 
dom is  a   fact   whicli   cannot  take  place  without 


THE    DIVERSITY    OF    CONFESSION.  G9 

God's  government — it  is  accepted  and  determined 
in  His  counsel  and  with  it  He  no  doubt  has  His 
own  high  and  wise  purposes. 

Now,  although  because  of  this  we  may  in  no 
way  justify  sin  which  appears  and  works  in  this 
division,  nevertheless  on  the  other  hand  it  is  not 
right  to  overlook  the  great  good  which  has  been 
brought  about  by  and  through  this  diversity.  What 
man  has  thought  evil,  God  has  often  meant  for 
good.  Out  of  darkness  He  can  bring  forth  light; 
out  of  death,  life;  out  of  the  shame  of  man  honor 
and  glory  for  His  name.  So  far  is  God  from  evil 
and  the  Almighty  from  unrighteousness  that  He 
can  even  suppress  and  use  sin  to  labor  to  the  glory 
of  His  perfections  and  the  establishment  of  His 
Kingdom. 

As  soon  as  the  truth,  proclaimed  by  Christ  and 
His  apostles,  reflected  itself  in  the  human  mind  it 
was,  most  likely  immediately,  robbed  of  its  purity 
and  became  adulterated  with  all  manner  of  errors ; 
heresy  and  schism  began  in  the  days  of  the  apostles. 
But  thus  the  truth  also  became  clearer  and  more 
and  better  understood  in  her  fullness  and  multi- 
fariousness and  the  churcli  was  continually  led 
deeper  into  the  mysteries  of  salvation  which  God 
had  laid  down  for  her  and  revealed  in  His  Word. 

To  be  sure,  in  natural  life  the  children  of  men 
are  already  entirely  different  the  one  from  the 
other.  Sex  and  age,  talents  and  character,  train- 
ing and  environment,  land  and  people,  time  and 
place,  rank  and  station,  diversity  of  gifts,  of  rea- 
son, and  heart,  bring  on  the  greatest  differences  in 
the  consideration  and  interpretation  of  things.  In 
not  one  respect  are  two  persons  perfectly  alike. 


70  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

And  this  diversity  which  exists  by  nature  is  not 
effaced  by  grace.  For  grace  does  not  suppress  and 
abolish  nature  but  restores  and  renews  her  and  yet 
increases  the  natural  diversity  with  the  diversity 
of  spiritual  gifts,  which,  to  be  sure,  are  all  worked 
by  the  one  and  the  self-same  si)irit,  but  neverthe- 
less, distributed  by  that  spirit  severally  as  He  will. 

In  unity  God  loves  diversity.  The  whole 
creation  testifies  thereof,  nature  with  her  moun- 
tains and  valleys,  seas  and  islands;  the  earth  with 
her  kingdoms  of  minerals  and  plants,  of  animals 
and  men ;  the  firmament  with  her  planets  and  stars ; 
the  heaven  of  heavens  with  her  thousands  and  ten 
thousands  of  Holy  Angels.  The  great  glory  of  the 
infinite,  rich  essence  of  God  is  reflected  in  the 
works  of  His  hands.  In  the  creatures  are  revealed 
God's  perfections  and  attributes. 

And  still  clearer  and  fuller  is  this  diversity  re- 
vealed unto  us  in  the  recreation.  There  is  first  of 
all,  Christ  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  children  of 
men,  upon  whose  lips  is  poured  out  grace  and 
truth.  And  then  around  Him,  in  great,  close,  com- 
pact masses,  the  Patriarchs  and  Prophets,  the 
Apostles  and  Evangelists,  the  Martyrs  and  Re- 
formers, the  whole  host  of  the  redeemed,  who  are 
bought  with  His  blood  and  renewed  by  His  Spirit. 
Different  are  they  in  Heaven,  different  were  they 
upon  earth.  And  all  that  diversity,  even  through 
the  sin,  guilt  and  error  of  man,  tends  to  the  good 
of  the  knowledge  of  truth,  and  to  the  honor  of 
grace.  Christ  takes  it  into  service  and  ornaments 
His  Church  with  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  uses  it,  to 
have  everyone  in  his  own  language  declare  the 
great  works  of  God.     One  day,  at  the  end  of  time, 


THE    DIVERSITY    OF    CONFESSION.  71 

God  will  receive  all  honor  and  glory  of  the  churcli 
out  of  every  tongue  and  people,  kindred  and  nation. 

For  this  reason  it  is  not  a  matter  of  surprise, 
that  in  all  diversity  of  confession  tlie  different  rela- 
tion is  reflected,  in  which  grace  is  placed  to  nature. 
The  essence  of  the  Christian  religion  consists 
therein,  that  the  creation  of  the  Father,  destroyed 
by  sin,  is  again  restored  in  the  death  of  the  Son 
of  God  and  recreated  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  a  Kingdom  of  God.  The  great  question 
therefore,  which  always  and  everywhere  returns,  is 
this:  In  what  relation  does  grace  place  itself  to 
nature.  Practically  every  child  of  man  must  regu- 
late that  relation  for  himself  in  his  thoughts  and 
life,  in  his  will  and  actions.  And  in  a  larger  field 
it  also  continually  makes  its  appearance,  in  church 
and  state,  in  family  and  society,  in  science  and 
education.  What  is  the  relation  between  the 
creation  and  recreation,  of  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth  and  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  of  humanity 
and  Christianity,  of  tliat  wiiich  is  from  below^  and 
that  which  is  from  above? 

All  in  accordance  witli  his  own  personal  pecu- 
liarity or  characteristics  every  man  will  designate 
this  relation  differently  and  will  also  apply  it  dif- 
ferently in  his  life.  It  makes  a  great  difference 
whether  we  think  of  grace  as  a  doctrine  or  as  life ; 
whether  we  consider  it  as  a  supernatural  addition 
to  nature  or  as  a  remedy  against  the  sickness  of 
sin;  whether  it  is  designated  for  the  heart  and 
closet  only,  or  for  the  whole  rich  and  full  life  of 
man;  whether  it  only  serves  to  save  the  soul  or  has 
the  tendency  to  prepare  honor  for  God  out  of  all 
His  works.     On  account  of  this  difference  there 


72  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

arises  amongst  believers  — ^  even  amongst  members 
of  one  and  the  same  church,  all  manner  of  smaller 
and  greater  differences  in  the  confession.  The 
truth,  to  be  sure,  is  one  but  it  reflects  itself  in  tlie 
consciousness  of  man  in  very  different  ways.  It  is 
true,  only  one  sun  shines  in  tlie  firmament  but 
everyone  sees  it  with  his  oavu  eye. 

But  nevertheless,  although  the  differences, 
Avhich  exist  between  the  confessions  of  the  Chris- 
tian Churches,  are  ever  so  great,  we  must  not  over- 
look the  unity  which  is  revealed  in  them  clearly 
and  plainly;  we  are  so  prone  to  become  one-sided. 
It  cannot  be  denied,  that  there  is  difference  and 
controversy  upon  each  and  ever^^  article  of  faith. 
But  staring  at  that  wliich  separates  believers  one 
from  the  other,  we  too  easily  forget  that  which 
unites  and  holds  them  together.  Often,  the  har- 
mony is  too  deeply  veiled  from  our  view  by  the  dis- 
cord which  exists. 

And  yet,  this  harmony  is  also  present.  The  be- 
lievers are  all  one,  not  absolutely  in  the  spiritual 
sense,  because  they  are  all  together  ingrafted  in 
Christ  and  are  therefore  members  of  His  bod}^ ;  but 
also  in  that  external  sense,  that  a  visible  band  en- 
circles all  Christian  Churches  and  confessions  and 
separates  them  from  all  non-Christians. 

To  be  sure  the  diversity  of  confession  in  the 
Christian  Church  does  not  absolutely  consist  in 
these  and  kindred  differences,  whereby  one  or  an- 
other truth  is  grasped  and  placed  upon  the  fore- 
ground. 

It  is  true,  there  is  no  Christendom  above  dis- 
cord of  faith.  The  differences  between  the  in- 
numerable Christian  Churches  and  confessions  are 


THE    DIVERSITY    OF    CONFESSION.  73 

not  mechanically  joined  to  the  points  of  nnity  or 
harmony.  We  cannot  separate  tlie  first  from  the 
last  so  that  there  remains  a  perfect  equal  sum. 
Each  and  every  confession  is  an  organism,  or,  in 
other  words,  an  organical  whole.  The  Roman  is 
liomish,  also  in  the  confession  of  the  twelve  articles 
of  faith,  which  are  accepted  by  all  churches.  Re- 
formed and  Lutherans,  Baptists  and  Arminians 
are  separated  from  each  other  not  only  in  the  doc- 
trine of  election,  of  the  church,  of  the  sacrament, 
but  also  in  those  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  creation  and 
providence,  of  redemption  and  justification. 

But  there  is,  nevertheless,  a  Christendom  in  the 
discord  of  faith,  a  unity,  which,  looking  at  it  aright, 
is  much  greater  and  of  infinitely  more  significance 
than  all  that  which  divides  and  separate  the  be- 
lievers from  each  other.  Although  it  is  not  pos- 
sible to  separate  that  unity  from  the  diversity, 
nevertheless  it  is  truly  and  really  present  in  it  and 
also  reveals  itself  clearly  and  plainly.  And  al- 
though a  written  confession  very  often  limits  itself 
especially  to  the  exposition  of  the  differences;  in 
the  unwritten  articles,  in  the  prayers,  in  the  fruits 
of  faith,  in  the  works  of  mercy  a  striking  harmony 
is  to  be  seen.  The  imperfect  confession  of  the  lips 
does  not  very  often  do  justice  to  the  faith  of  the 
heart. 

Thus  it  appears  to  be  the  v\^ill  and  pleasure  of 
the  Lord  that  the  unity  of  faith  and  of  the  knowl 
edge  of  the  Son  of  God  shall  build  itself  a  way 
through  the  diversity — at  the  end  of  time  to  appear 
in  all  its  glory.  When  in  the  future  the  body  of 
Christ  shall  have  attained  the  full  growth,  and 
shall  have  come  in  the  unity  of  faith,  and  of  the 


74  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect  man, 
unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fullness  of 
Christ;  then  all  the  saints  together  shall  fully  un- 
derstand what  is  the  breadth  and  length  and  depth 
and  height  of  the  love  of  Christ  which  surpasses  all 
understanding,  so  that  they  may  be  filled  unto  all 
the  fullness  of  God. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Universality  of  Confession. 

Therefore  let  no  man  glory  in 
men.  For  all  things  are  yours; 
whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Ce- 
phas, or  the  world,  or  life,  or 
death,  or  things  present,  or  things 
to  come:  all  are  yours:  and  ye  are 
Christ's;  and  Christ  is  God's. 

I  Cor.  3:21-23. 

The  diversity  of  confession  does  not  encroach 
upon  its  universality.  Although  tljere  are  many 
churches,  yet  as  Christians  we  altogether  confess 
one,  Holy  Catholic  Church,  whicli  makes  its  ap- 
pearance in  the  many  and  various  churches  of 
Christendom,  although  it  may  be  very  often  in  a 
very  imperfect  way. 

Universal,  Catholic,  is  the  Christian  confession 
in  this  sense,  that  it  spreads  itself  over  the  whole 
earth,  includes  all  true  believers,  is  binding  for  all 
people  and  has  significance  for  the  whole  world. 
Chritianity  is  a  world  religion,  destined  and  suit- 
able for  every  nation  and  century,  for  every  rank 
and  station,  for  every  place  and  time.  And  the 
most  Catholic  is  that  church  which  has  expressed 
this  international  and  cosmopolitan  character  of 
the  Christian  religion  in  the  purest  way  in  her  con- 
fession and  applied  it  the  most  liberally  in  practice. 

75 


76  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

This  universality  or  Catholicity  of  the  Chris- 
tian reliction  is  directly  coherent  witli  the  unitv  of 
God,  which  is  taught  in  it.  God  is  one,  and  tliere 
His  words  and  works  can  never  contradict  each 
other.  All  things  have  their  relation  and  system 
in  His  consciousness,  in  His  will,  in  His  counsel. 
They  all  exist  together  in  the  Son,  who  is  the  image 
of  the  invisible  God,  the  first  born  of  all  creatures, 
through  whom  and  unto  whom  they  are  all  created. 
And  this  Son  is  at  the  same  time  the  Christ;  the 
way,  the  truth  and  the  life,  without  and  outside  of 
whom  no  one  can  come  to  the  Fatlier;  the  only 
name  given  under  Heaven,  that  sinners  should 
thereby  be  saved ;  the  Head  of  the  Church,  in  whom 
the  Father  has  made  to  dwell  all  the  fullness,  that 
He  through  Him,  having  made  peace  through  the 
blood  of  the  cross,  might  reconcile  all  things  unto 
Himself,  be  it  the  tilings  which  are  upon  earth,  be 
it  the  things,  which  are  in  Heaven. 

Christianity  is  therefore  the  absolute  religion, 
the  only,  essential,  true  religion.  It  tolerates  no 
other  religions  as  of  almost  equal  worth  and 
worthiness  alongside  of  itself.  It  is,  according  to 
its  nature,  intolerant,  even  as  the  truth  at  all  times 
is  and  77iust  be  intolerant  with  respect  to  the  un- 
truth. It  will  not  even  be  satisfied  by  being  the 
first  of  the  religions,  but  it  claims  to  be  the  only, 
true,  full  religion,  which  has  absorbed  and  fulfilled 
all  that  is  true  and  good  in  other  religions.  Christ 
is  not  a  man  alongside  of  others,  but  He  is  the 
Son  of  Man,  who  by  the  resurrection  was  declared 
to  be  the  Son  of  God  witli  power,  according  to  the 
Spirit  of  Holiness,  and  received  of  the  Father  a 
name  above  every  name,  so  that  in  that  name  every 


T*? 


THE    UNIVERSALITY   OP    CONFESSION.  77 

knee  should  bow  and  every  tongue  confess,  that  He 
is  the  Lord,  to  the  Glory  of  God  the  Father. 

In  this  unity  is  of  necessity  implied  the  uni- 
versality of  the  Christian  religion.  While  there  is 
but  one  God,  He  is  the  Creator  of  all  things.  Be- 
cause there  is  only  one  Mediator  between  God  and 
man.  He  is  the  Savior  of  the  wliole  world.  And  as 
there  is  only  one  Spirit,  proceeding  from  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  He  is  the  onl}^  Guide  and  Leader  in 
tlie  truth,  the  exclusive  Teacher  of  the  Church,  the 
All-Sufficient  Comforter  of  all  believers. 

The  Holy  Scriptures  proclaim  this  universality 
of  Christianity  in  the  clearest  and  most  beautiful 
way.  The  Father  loved  the  world  and  therefore 
sent  His  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lie veth  in  Him  should  not  perisli,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life.  In  that  Son  God  has  reconciled  the 
world  unto  Himself,  not  imputing  unto  her  her 
sins.  Christ  Himself  came  upon  earth,  not  to  con- 
demn the  world  but  to  save  her.  He  is  the  Light, 
the  Life,  the  Savior  of  the  world,  a  reconciliation, 
not  alone  for  our  sins  but  for  the  whole  world.  In 
Him,  all  things  in  Heaven  and  on  earth  are  recon- 
ciled unto  God  and  are  also  gathered  together  into 
one.  The  world,  Avhich  was  made  by  the  Son,  is 
also  destined  for  the  Son  as  its  heir.  One  dav  all 
Kingdoms  become  our  Lord's  and  His  Christ's 

Tliis  great  and  glorious  truth  has  been  very- 
often  denied  and  misappreciated.  In  the  course  of 
centuries  there  have  been  Christians,  and  they  are 
still  found,  who,  to  be  sure,  ascribed  unto  the  Gos- 
pel a  certain  importance  or  significance  for  the  re- 
ligious-moral life,  but  who  also  limited  its  influence 
to  thaty  and  had  no  conception  of  its  worth  and 


78  THE  SACRIFICE  OF,  PRAISE. 

worthiness  for  the  natural  life,  for  family  and 
society  and  state,  for  science  and  art.  Yea,  many 
have  thought  that  recreation  was  in  opposition  to, 
in  enmity  Avith  creation,  that  grace  effaced  nature 
and  that  therefore,  he  was  the  best  and  most  Chris- 
tian who  withdrew  from  the  world  and  shut  him- 
self up  in  solitude. 

And  advocates  of  infidelity  have  eagerly  made 
use  of  this  and  proclaimed  triumphantly  that 
Christianity  was  an  enemy  of  all  culture,  and  there- 
fore in  every  respect  no  longer  suitable  for  man- 
kind in  the  present  day.  In  former  centuries  it 
may  have  fulfilled  an  excellent  calling,  and  even 
today  it  may  prove  to  be  for  this  or  that  melancholy 
individual,  a  comfort  in  his  sorrow;  but  for  man- 
kind as  a  whole,  Christianity  is  antiquated  and 
nigh  unto  disappearance.  Civilization,  science,  art, 
commercialism,  industry,  there  are  the  gods  wliich 
today  go  before  the  face  of  man  and  lead  him  out 
of  the  house  of  bondage.  But  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
has  served  its  purpose;  His  Kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world  and  has  nothing  to  say  to  this  world.  Yea, 
the  whole  of  religion  may  yet  have  a  little  right  of 
existence  in  the  church  and  closet;  but  upon  the 
market  of  life  there  is  no  place  for  it.  Religion 
has  nothing  to  do  with  politics.  In  the  schools  of 
science,  in  the  temples  of  art,  in  the  counsel  cham- 
bers of  the  State  the  Almighty  is  excluded.  The 
liberation  or  emancipation  of  the  world  from  God 
and  godly  things  is  prosecuted  even  to  the  end. 

In  this  reasoning  there  lies  a  truth,  which  may 
not  be  denied.  To  be  sure,  Jesus  came  upon  earth 
and  assumed  the  natural  life,  but  He  assumed  it,  to 
deny  it  and. to  lay  it  down  again  at  the  cross.    He 


THE   UNIVERSALITY  OF   CONFESSION.  79 

was  not  married,  did  not  pursue  any  occupation  or 
profession  in  civil  life,  did  not  hold  an  office  in  the 
State.  He  was  neither  a  man  of  science,  nor  practi- 
tioner of  art.  His  whole  life  was  a  sacrifice,  which 
consummated  itself  in  His  surrendering  unto 
death.  He  came  to  die.  Death  was  the  end  and 
purpose  of  His  life.  Even  as  He  Himself  testified, 
that  He  came  not  to  be  served,  but  to  serve  and  to 
give  His  soul  as  a  ransom  for  many. 

And  thus,  He  did,  not  only  for  Himself;  He  de- 
mands of  His  disciples,  tliat  they  shall  follow  Him 
and  walk  in  His  steps.  Whosoever  does  not  take 
up  his  cross,  cannot  be  His  disciple.  Whosoever 
desires  to  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it,  but  whosoever 
shall  lose  it  for  His  sake,  shall  find  it.  Whosoever 
loves  father  or  mother  above  Him,  is  not  worthy 
of  Him,  but  whosoever  forsakes  all  for  His  name's 
sake,  shall  receive  a  liundredfold  and  inherit  eter- 
nal life.  To  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven, 
the  offending  eye  must  be  plucked  out,  and  the 
offending  hand  and  foot  cut  off,  for  it  is  better  to 
enter  into  life  maimed,  than  to  have  tw^o  hands  and 
two  feet  and  two  eyes,  and  be  cast  into  hell-fire. 
Nothing  may  be  derogated  from  this  rigid  demand 
of  the  Gospel  of  the  cross.  The  Gospel  may  be  for 
man,  it  is  in  no  single  instance  after  man.  Whoso- 
ever desires  to  fashion  it  after  the  spirit  of  the  age, 
according  to  the  reasonings  of  the  day,  robs  it  of 
its  power,  and  experiences  nothing  but  disappoint- 
ment, if  in  this  way  he  thinks  to  find  an  entrance 
for  it.  For,  to  be  sure,  Christ  has  been  neither  a 
political  leader  nor  a  civil  reformer;  His  Gospel  is 
not  suitable  to  serve  as  a  social  program;  the 
Scriptures  are  not  a  code  of  laws  neither  a  hand- 

PROPERTY  OF 

7ADCDUATU    I  IDDAOV 


80  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

book  for  art  or  science;  the  admiiiistratioii  of  the 
AA^ord  is  not  a  preaching'  of  human  wisdom;  the 
government  of  the  church  is  not  a  domination  and 
not  an  exercising  of  authority;  tlie  deaconry  is  not 
an  institution  for  the  solution  of  the  problem  of 
poverty. 

For  all  this  Christ  did  not  come;  neither  for 
this  was  His  Word  given  unto  us.  Christ  is  Savior 
— that  is  His  name  and  His  work;  nothing  else, 
nothing  more  but  also  nothing  less  than  tliat.  His 
sacrifice  is  a  reconciliation  for  sins.  His  Gospel 
is  a  glad  tiding  unto  salvation.  His  Church  is  a 
communion  of  saints.  Christianity  is  religion,  not 
philosophy. 

But  that  it  is,  then  also,  wholly  and  perfectly; 
the  true,  pure,  full  religion,  the  restoration  of  the 
right  relation  to  God  and  therefore  also  of  that  to 
all  creatures.  Savior  is  Christ,  nothing  else;  but 
that  He  is  then  also,  so  perfectly,  that  His  Gospel 
is  a  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  everyone  that 
believeth. 

And  therefore  He  rejects  no  one  or  nothing. 
The  rich  who  think  to  have  need  of  nothing.  He 
sends  away  empty,  but  the  poor  He  fills  with  gifts. 
Upon  the  Pharisees  who  think  to  have  sufficient  in 
their  own  righteousness,  He  proclaims  His  thrice 
repeated:  woe.  But  publicans  and  sinners  He  in- 
vites to  come  unto  Him,  the  sick  He  heals,  the  lame 
He  makes  to  walk,  the  lepers  He  cleanses,  the  blind 
He  makes  to  see,  the  dead  He  raises,  over  the  chil- 
dren He  lifts  up  His  hands  with  blessings,  unto 
the  poor  He  proclaims  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God,  and  doing  good  and  scattering  blessings 
everywhere  He  goes  through  the  whole  land. 


THE   UNIVERSALITY  OF   CONFESSION.  81 

And  in  it  all  He  counts  nothing  strange  that 
is  human.  Different  than  John  the  Baptist,  He 
came  eating  and  drinking,  so  that  He  was  even 
branded  a  glutton  and  a  wine  bibber.  He  was  a 
guest  at  the  wedding  in  Can  a,  accepted  invitations 
to  dine,  forbade  His  disciples  to  fast,  revealed  the 
joy  of  the  future  salvation  by  the  parable  of  a  mar- 
riage feast,  promised  His  disciples  in  the  last  night 
of  His  life,  that,  although  He  would  now  drink  no 
more  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine  with  them,  yet  one 
day  He  should  drink  it  anew  with  them  in  the  King- 
dom of  the  Father. 

The  ordinances  in  every  rank  and  station  of 
natural  life  are  recognized  and  respected  by  Him, 
for  He  has  not  come  to  break  down  the  works  of 
the  Father,  but  only  those  of  the  devil.  He  pays 
the  tribute,  refuses  to  act  as  judge  between  two 
brothers  quarreling  about  an  inheritance,  com- 
mands to  give  unto  Caesar  that  which  is  his,  re- 
quires submission  unto  those  who  are  seated  upon 
the  seat  of  Moses,  and  forbids  His  disciples,  even 
in  the  most  trying  hour,  to  use  the  sword.  Never 
does  He  incite  unto  resistance;  always  and  ever 
words  of  love  are  heard  from  His  lips.  Love  your 
enemies;  bless  them  who  curse  you;  do  well  unto 
those  who  hate  you ;  and  pray  for  those  who  despite- 
fully  use  and  persecute  you. 

He  also  loves  nature  with  a  child-like  joy.  He 
enjoys  her  hesiutj  and  refreshes  Himself  in  her 
glory.  He  has  an  open  eye  for  the  gTass  of  the 
earth  and  the  lilies  of  the  field,  for  the  birds  of  the 
air  and  the  fish  of  the  sea.  Vine  and  fig  tree,  the 
mustard  seed  and  tlie  grain  of  wheat,  grape  and 
thorn,  fig  and  thistle,  acre  and  flock,  fishing  and 


82  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

commerce,  are  used  by  Him  as  symbols  and  para- 
bles in  His  instruction  concerning  things  Heavenly. 
The  whole  of  nature  speaks  unto  Him  of  the  Father^ 
Which  is  in  Heaven  and  Who  maketh  His  sun  to 
rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain 
on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust.  And  so  very  little 
does  He  disapprove  of  all  luxury,  that  He,  when 
Mary  once  anointed  Him  with  a  very  choice  oint- 
ment, does  not  complain  with  His  disciples  of  the 
waste  but  accepts  readily  and  with  gratitude  this 
very  precious  mark  of  honor. 

And  what  silences  everything  —  Jesus,  to  be 
sure,  laid  down  the  natural  life  for  our  sakes,  but 
He  also  again  assumed  it  and  is  risen  from  the  dead. 
When  He  had  borne  our  sins  in  His  flesh  on  the 
tree  and  had  thus  delivered  the  natural  life  from 
its  guilt  and  curse  and  death,  then  He  also  again 
accepted  it  as  His  possession,  but  now  re-born, 
spiritualized,  sanctified.  The  corporeal  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ  from  the  dead  is  the  decisive  proof, 
that  Christianity  does  not  stand  in  enmity  to  any- 
thing human  or  natural  but  tliat  it  only  desires  to 
deliver  the  creation  of  all  things  sinful  and  per- 
fectly sanctify  it  unto  God. 

No  other  is  the  Avay  in  which  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  have  to  walk.  Wliosoever  wishes  to  foUow 
Jesus  must,  to  be  sure,  forsake  everything,  but  he 
also  receives  everything  in  return,  thirty  and  sixty 
and  hundredfold.  AVhosoever  has  become  one  plant 
with  Him  in  the  likeness  of  His  death  shall  also  be 
this  in  tlie  likeness  of  His  resurrection.  Wlioso- 
ever suffers  with  Him,  shall  also  be  glorified  with 
Him,  and  that,  not  for  the  first  time  in  Heaven,  but 
already  in  beginning  here  upim  earth.     For  whoso- 


THE   UNIVERSALITY   OF   CONFESSION.  83 

ever  believes  has  eternal  life  and  is  renewed  from 
day  to  day.  From  cross  to  crown,  through  death  to 
life  —  that  is  the  way  for  both  Jesus  and  His  dis- 
ciples. Therefore  everything  also  returns  through 
death  unto  them  in  the  resurrection.  Having  died 
and  arisen  with  Christ,  they  live  the  remaining  por- 
tion of  their  life,  in  the  flesh,  in  the  faith  of  the  Son 
of  God,  who  has  loved  them  and  has  given  Himself 
for  them.  Although  crucified  unto  the  world,  they 
are  not  taken  out  of  the  world,  but  are  protected  in 
the  world  from  the  evil  one  by  the  Father.  They 
remain  in  the  calling,  in  which  they  are  called.  The 
Jew,  who  is  converted  unto  the  Lord,  is  not  required 
to  take  on  the  foreskin,  and  the  Greek,  who  comes 
to  faith,  is  not  compelled  to  be  circumcised.  The 
servant  remains  a  servant,  although  he  comes  to 
liberty  in  tlie  Lord ;  and  the  free-born  remains  free, 
although  he  becomes  a  servant  of  Christ.  The  un- 
believing husband  is  sanctified  by  the  wife  and  the 
unbelieving  wife  is  sanctified  by  the  husband. 

All  natural  ordinances  remain;  they  are  not 
revolutionarily  broken  down  but  only  recreated  by 
the  new  spirit.  For  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  not 
meat  and  drink,  but  righteousness  and  peace  and 
joy  through  the  Holy  Spirit.  Every  creature  of 
God  is  good,  and  nothing  to  be  refused,  if  it  be  re- 
ceived with  thankgiving;  for  it  is  sanctified,  by  the 
Word  of  God  and  prayer.  Only,  believers  have  to 
think  on  whatsoever  things  are  true;  whatsoever 
things  are  honest;  whatsoever  things  are  just; 
Avhatsoever  things  are  pure ;  whatsoever  things  are 
lovely;  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report.  As 
for  the  rest  everything  is  theirs,  for  they  are 
Christ's  and  Christ  is  God's. 


84  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

Thus  godliness  is  profitable  uuto  all  things,  hav- 
ing promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come.  Unto  him,  who  has  sought  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  its  righteousness,  all  other 
things  are  added.  The  best  Christian  is  the  best 
citizen.  With  his  confession  he  neither  stands  out- 
side of  nor  in  opposition  to  the  natural  life.  But 
proudly  and  bravely  he  bears  it  into  the  world,  and 
plants  everywhere  the  banner  of  the  cross.  The 
Gospel  of  Christ  is  a  good  tiding  of  great  joy  for  all 
creatures,  for  mind  and  heart,  for  soul  and  body, 
for  family  and  society,  for  science  and  art.  For  it 
delivers  from  guilt  and  redeems  from  death.  It  is 
a  power  of  God  unto  salvation  for  everyone  that 
believes. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Obligation  to  Confession. 

For  ye  are  bought  with  a  price: 
therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body 
and  in  your  spirit,  which  are  God's. 

I  Cor.  6:20. 

Confessing,  to  be  sure,  lias  its  root  and  origin  in 
the  heart,  but  is  nevertheless  in  itself,  according  to 
its  nature  and  character,  a  thing  of  the  mouth,  a 
work  of  the  lips. 

There  are  many  of  the  opinion,  however,  that 
this  latter  is  only  incidental  to  confession,  an  ar- 
bitrary addition,  at  least,  only  a  superfluous  good 
work.  And  they  know  how  to  ornament  this,  their 
opinion,  with  many  beautiful  thoughts ;  in  personal 
faith  in  Christ  and  for  the  salvation  of  the  soul  the 
emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  heart  and  not  upon  the 
external  work  of  the  lips.  Silently  confessing,  and 
testifying  in  secret  has  more  worth  and  worthiness 
and  bears  richer  fruit,  than  the  speaking  of  gTeat 
words  and  the  using  of  pious  terms.  Jesus,  Him- 
self has  said,  not  everyone  that  saith  unto  Me,  Lord, 
Lord,  shall  enter  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  but  he, 
who  does  the  will  of  My  Father,  which  is  in  Heaven. 
Better  is  it  to  confess  before  God  in  the  closet,  than 
to  sell  the  truth  in  public,  and  to  cast  pearls  before 
the  swine.    The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  not  of  this 

85 


86  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

world,  it  comes  not  in  outward  form,  but  is  within 
us.  Man  sees  what  is  before  the  e^^e,  but  (lod  con- 
siders the  heart. 

In  opposition  to  the  great  untruth  and  lie,  which 
reigns  in  the  confession  of  the  mouth,  this  remind- 
ing of  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  conversion  of 
the  heart  is  perfectly  in  its  place.  A  fearful  hy- 
pocrisy has  crept  into  the  work  of  the  lips.  There 
is  an  unjustly-called  orthodoxy,  which  seeks  a 
ground  for  justification  before  the  face  of  God  in 
the  outward  and  intellectual  acceptance  of  the 
truth.  Confidence  in  the  merit  of  outward  works 
of  piety  is  a  sin,  but  no  less  an  evil  is  confidence  in 
the  merit  of  outward  learning  and  understanding, 
which  in  addition  makes  one  to  look  down  in  scorn 
and  pride  of  heart  upon  the  multitude  who  know 
not  the  law,  and  in  the  works  of  mercy  and  love  it 
is  entirely  unfruitful.  Therefore,  in  opposition  to 
this  false  orthodoxy  it  is  always  our  duty  and  call- 
ing to  lay  emphasis  upon  the  heart  and  to  exhort 
unto  uprightness  before  the  face  of  God.  For  false 
lips  are  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord,  but  those 
who  act  faithfully  are  His  pleasure.  He  has  no 
pleasure  in  a  peoi)le  who  draw  near  unto  Him  with 
the  mouth,  and  praise  Him  with  the  lips,  but  whose 
hearts  are  held  far  from  Him.  The  first  thing  that 
God  requires  of  each  and  everyone  is  the  heart,  for 
out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life.  To  be  a  Christian 
consists  not  therein  that  we  speak  great  words,  but 
that,  with  God,  we  do  great  things. 

But  nevertheless  this  does  not  in  the  least  take 
away  the  fact  tliat  Holy  Writ  attaches  a  great 
worth  and  worthiness  to  the  testimony  of  the  lips 
and  is  especially  pleased  with  a  confession  of  the 


THE  OBLIGATION  TO  CONFESSION.  87 

mouth.  There  is  no  other  book  that  so  fearlessly 
unmasks  all  hypocrisy  and  at  the  same  time  values 
so  highly  the  significance  of  the  word  and  the  power 
of  testimony,  as  the  Word  of  God. 

Speaking  is  nothing  more  or  nothing  less  than 
an  essential  attribute  of  God,  His  eternal,  un- 
changeable work.  Speaking,  the  Father  generates 
eternally  out  of  His  own  essence  the  Son,  who  is  the 
Word,  tlie  spoken  and  at  the  same  time  the  self- 
speaking  Word,  which  in  the  beginning  was  with 
God  and  Ayhich  was  God.  Speaking  in  and  thru 
that  Word  God  brings  all  things  into  existence, 
preserves  and  rules,  recreates  and  renews  them. 
His  speaking  is  doing.  His  Word  is  power.  He 
speaks  and  it  is  there,  He  commands  and  it  stands 
fast,  He  calls  the  things  that  are  not  as  if  they  were. 

Also  in  this  respect  is  man  created  in  the  image 
of  God.  He  receives  from  His  Creator  not  only  an 
understanding  and  a  heart,  but  also  a  tongue  and  a 
language  and  is  therefore  called,  not  only  to  think 
and  to  feel,  but  also  to  speak  and  to  testify.  His 
speaking  must  be  a  praising,  a  proclaiming  of  the 
great  works  of  God.  Thus  the  Angels  praise  Him, 
when  they,  standing  before  the  throne,  sing,  one  to 
the  other.  Holy,  Holy,  Holy  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 
the  whole  earth  is  full  of  His  glory!  Thus  the 
saints  praise  Him,  when  they  sing  the  song  of 
Moses,  the  servant  of  God,  and  the  Song  of  the 
Lamb,  saying :  Great  and  wonderful  are  Thy  works, 
O  Lord,  Thou  Almighty  God,  just  and  righteous  are 
Thy  ways,  Thou  King  of  Saints;  who  would  not 
fear  Thee,  Lord,  and  who  would  not  glorify  Thy 
name?  Yea,  again  and  again  in  Holy  Writ,  all 
creatures  are  called  upon  to  praise  the  name  of  the 


88  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

Lord.  Bless  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye,  His  hosts ;  ye  min- 
isters of  His,  that  do  His  pleasure.  Bless  the  Lord, 
all  His  works  in  all  places  of  His  dominion;  bless 
the  Lord,  O  my  soul. 

In  the  midst  of  all  those  speaking  and  praising 
creatures,  man,  who  has  received  the  word  for  the 
utterance  of  his  thoughts,  may  not  remain  silent. 
Indeed,  he  cannot  remain  silent.  His  silence  is 
even  counted  as  acknowledgment.  Neutrality  is  as 
impossible  for  the  mouth  as  for  the  heart.  Who- 
soever does  not  confess  Christ,  denies  Him.  Silence 
soon  passes  over  into  doubt,  unbelief,  enmity.  The 
tongue  is  a  fire,  a  world  of  iniquity ;  it  defileth  the 
whole  body,  and  setteth  on  fire  the  course  of  na- 
ture ;  and  it  is  set  on  fire  of  hell ;  it  is  untameable, 
an  unruly  evil,  full  of  deadly  poison.  If  we  do  not 
bless  God,  even  the  Father,  with  it,  then  we  curse 
therewith  men,  which  are  made  after  the  similitude 
of  God. 

Therefore  in  recreation  it  is  also  the  purpose  of 
God,  that  man  shall  again  speak  and  praise,  and 
proclaim  His  virtues.  God  redeems  the  tongue  no 
less  than  the  heart,  the  language  as  well  as  the 
thoughts.  He  makes  man  free,  both  soul  and  body, 
and  also  again  loosens  his  tongue  and  opens  his 
lips.  He  fills  the  mouth  with  laughter  and  the  lips 
with  rejoicing.  Thoughts  and  words  also  belong  to- 
gether and  may  not  be  separated.  The  Word  is  the 
full-grown  thought,  the  thought  which  has  come  to 
liberty  and  independence.  The  thoughts  in  the  in- 
ward man  are  as  it  were  the  branches,  and  tlie 
words  are  the  blossoms  and  fruit  thereof,  which 
through  the  mouth  and  lips  sprout  forth  and  come 
to  maturity.    And  also  of  this  fruit  of  the  lips,  con 


THE  OBLIGATION  TO  CONFESSION.  89 

sisting  in  sacrifies  of  praise,  God  is  the  Creator  and 
Former. 

Therefore  the  Saints  of  the  Old  Testament  also 
pray :  Lord  open  my  lips,  then  my  mouth  shall  pro- 
claim Thy  praise.  Let  my  mouth  be  filled  with  Thy 
praise,  with  Thy  glory  all  the  day.  When  God 
sends  forth  His  spirit  the  prayer  of  Moses  is  an- 
swered, that  all  the  people  ma}^  be  prophets  of  God. 
Then  the  sons  and  daughters,  the  youths  and  the 
old  men,  man  servants  and  maid  servants  begin  to 
projjhesy  and  everyone  in  his  own  language  pro- 
claims the  wondrous  works  of  God.  Then  silence 
is  impossible.  The  mouth  overflows  with  that  of 
which  the  heart  is  filled :  Of  Thee,  O  Lord,  shall  be 
my  praise  in  a  great  congregation.  I  shall  praise 
Thee  with  all  my  heart.  I  will  sing  unto  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  the  Most  High;  I  will  speak  of  His 
wondrous  works,  each  one;  I  will  praise  Him 
among  the  nations;  I  will  praise  the  Lord  at  all 
times;  His  glory  shall  continually  fill  my  mouth;  I 
will  praise  Him  forever. 

So  highly  does  God  value  this  fruit  of  the  lips, 
that  in  opposition  to  those  who  scorn  and  deride 
Him,  the  Lord  prepares  Himself  honor  out  of  the 
mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings.  If  the  disciples 
should  keep  silent  then  the  stones  would  cry  out. 
God  demands  the  whole  man  for  His  service.  He 
wills  that  man  shall  love  Him,  with  mind  and  heart, 
with  mouth  and  tongue  and  all  power.  And  when 
man  on  account  of  sin  holds  back  this  love,  then  it 
is  He  himself.  Who,  in  and  through  Christ  gathers 
together  out  of  the  whole  world  a  church,  which 
proclaims  the  virtues  of  Him  Who  called  her  out  of 
darkness  unto  His  marvelous  light.  It  is  God,  Him- 


00  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

self,  Who  calls  His  people  to  this  and  requires  it  of 
them,  Who  also  makes  them  able  and  willing.  He 
drives  them  to  it  by  His  Spirit,  for  this  Spirit, 
leads  them  in  the  truth,  makes  them  confess  Jesus 
as  the  Lord,  witnesses  in  them  of  their  childship, 
and  makes  them  cry  aloud :  x\bba  Father.  Because 
they  liave  been  bought  with  a  price,  the  price  of  tlie 
blood  of  the  Son,  they  are  called  to  glorify  God  in 
tlieir  body  and  spirit  which  are  God's. 

This  obligation  or  duty  of  confessing  the  Lord's 
name  rests  upon  each  and  every  believer.  In  the 
confession  of  our  mouth  it  appears  whether  we 
mean  it,  if  it  is  holy  earnestness  with  us,  if  the  love 
of  God  is  dearer  unto  us  than  the  friendship  of  the 
world.  It  is,  the  evidence  of  the  truth,  the  verifica- 
tion of  the  faith,  the  crown  upon  the  work  of  God 
within  us.  In  the  confession,  returns  unto  God,  by 
way  of  the  lips,  what  He  Himself  out  of  grace, 
through  His  Spirit,  has  wrought  of  faith  and  love 
in  our  hearts.  It  is  not  a  hard  duty,  not  a  severe 
command,  but  a  service  of  love  which  never  vexes, 
a  blessed  privilege,  a  high  honor.  For  a  child  of 
man  there  is  not  a  more  glorious  work  than  to  be 
allowed  to  confess  God  and  to  proclaim  His  honor. 

Such  a  privilege  is  confessing  for  the  individual 
believer  and  that  is  it  also  for  the  church  as  a 
whole.  She  believes,  therefore  she  speaks. 
Throughout  all  all  centuries  she  confesses.  To 
friend  and  enemy  she  gives  an  account  of  the  hope 
til  at  is  in  her.  Her  testimony  is  as  tlie  voice  of 
inanj^  waters.  She  reveals  her  faith,  in  her  meet 
ings  and  religious  services,  in  her  prayers  and 
hymns,  in  her  works  of  mercy  and  gifts  of  love.   Al- 


THE  OBLIGATION  TO  CONFESSION.  01 

waj^s  and  everywhere  she  confesses.  She  is  and 
cannot  be  otherwise  —  than  a  confessing  church. 

In  speaking  of  the  confession  of  tlie  church,  it  is 
very  unilateral  to  think  exclusively  or  even  in  the 
first  place  of  the  written  expression  of  her  faith, 
To  be  sure,  this  gradually  became  necessary  for  the 
church  because  of  errors  and  heresies.  And  when 
the  church  appears  in  the  midst  of  the  world  with 
this,  her  Avritten  confession,  she  also  makes  a  glo- 
rious profession  of  her  faith. 

Entirely  without  ground,  the  Church  of  Christ, 
has,  from  different  sides,  been  denied  the  right  of 
expressing  her  faith  in  writing  and  of  being  watch- 
ful for  its  perfect  maintenance.  For,  with  such  a 
written  confession  she  does  not  encroach  upon  the 
word  of  God  but  only  explains  the  contents  of  that 
word  according  to  the  measure  of  faith  and  know- 
ledge granted  unto  her  in  a  given  time.  With  it 
she  does  not  assail  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures, 
but  just  tries  to  maintain  this,  and  with  it  she  is 
upon  her  guard  that  the  Scriptures  be  not  aban- 
doned to  the  arbitrary  will  of  the  individual.  She 
does  not  bind  the  consciences  with  it,  but  delivers 
these  from  the  ever -recurring  errors  of  man  and 
strives  to  lead  all  thoughts  captive  to  the  obedience 
of  Christ.  With  it  she  does  not  cut  off  development 
but  tries  to  retain  this  and  to  lead  it  in  the  right 
path,  in  the  path  of  building  up  and  not  breaking 
down.  The  confession  of  the  church  does  not  stand 
alongside  of,  much  less  above,  but  deeply  below 
Holy  Writ.  This  is  and  remains  the  only,  perfect, 
sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  life. 

Even  if  a  church  should  never  express  her  faith 
in  print,  still  she  would  always,  as  long  and  in  so 


92  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

far  as  she  is  a  church,  have  a  confession.  But  when 
she  expresses  her  faith  in  writing,  then  she  obtains 
thereby  this  profit,  that  the  truth,  in  so  far  as  she 
has  acknowledged  it,  is  handed  down  unaltered 
from  generation  to  generation  and  is  also  easier  to 
be  maintained  against  all  adversaries.  Unto  the 
confession  of  the  church  belongs  a  great  pedagogi- 
cal worth  and  worthiness.  The  individual  cominoj 
to  maturity  grows  into  this  confession  and  after 
awhile  accepts  it  freely  and  independently  as  his 
own.  Even  as  a  child  in  every  sphere  goes  in  unto 
the  work  of  his  ancestors  so  he  also  lives  from  year 
to  year  into  the  spiritual  inheritance  of  his  fathers. 

No  one  begins  at  the  beginning.  Everyone 
stands  upon  the  shoulders  of  those  who  were  before 
him.  Everyone  of  us  lives  and  spends  of  the  treas- 
ures which  parents  and  gi'andparents  brought  to- 
gether for  us.  Only,  unto  each  and  everyone  of  us 
comes  the  requirement  that,  with  the  exertion  of 
all  our  powers  we  shall  master  and  make  our  own 
that  which  we  have  inherited  of  the  fathers.  Thus 
a  child  also  accepts  the  confession  of  the  church,  so 
that  this  may  afterwards  become  the  free  and  in- 
dependent expression  of  its  personal  faith. 

But  also  on  account  of  this,  however  high  the 
written  confession  may  stand,  it  may  never  be  sev- 
ered from  personal  faith,  neither  may  it  ever  be 
torn  out  of  its  coherence  with  the  testimonies  and 
deeds  wherewith  the  church  distinguishes  herself 
from  and  places  herself  in  opposition  to  the  world. 
It  is  not  a  document  which  binds  us  because  of  its 
honored  antiquity.  It  bears  no  authority  that  is 
laid  upon  us  by  the  remote  past.  But  it  is,  even  as 
all  other  acts,  borne  and  animated  from  moment  to 


THE  OBLIGATION  TO  CONFESSION.  93 

moment  by  the  faith  of  the  church  and  thus  pro- 
ceeds from  generation  to  generation.  It  is  even  in 
the  i)resent  day,  still  our  confession,  not  because  it 
was  compiled  by  our  fathers  and  by  them  delivered 
upon  us,  but  because  it  is  for  us  to-day,  even  as  it 
was  for  them  in  former  centuries,  the  purest  ex- 
pression of  our  faith,  the  clearest  explanation  of 
the  truth  of  God,  the  most  beautiful  exhibition  of 
the  treasures  of  salvation,  which  are  granted  unto 
us  by  God  in  Christ. 

Trained  from  our  youth  in  the  confession  of  the 
church,  we  now  confess  tlierein  our  own  faith. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Opposition  to  Confession. 

But  I  certify  you,  brethren,  that 
the  Gospel  which  was  preached  of 
me  is  not  after  man. 

Galatians   i  :ii. 

Confessing  is  contrary  to  flesli  and  blood,  con- 
trary to  world  and  satan. 

B}^  nature,  every  man  is  in  enmity  with  the 
proclamation  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  To  the  su- 
perficial thinker  or  observer  it  may  seem  strange 
that  the  Gospel  has  at  all  times  met  with  so  great 
an  opposition.  It  is,  is  it  not  a  good  tiding  of  great 
joy  unto  all  creatures?  It  speaks  of  nothing  but 
grace  and  peace  and  salvation;  it  demands  noth- 
ing and  gives  everything.  And  nevertheless  it 
finds  resistance  and  opposition  everywliere ;  for  the 
Jews  it  is  an  offense  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness. 
It  may  be  for  man,  but  it  is  not  after  man.  It  is 
not,  as  it  would  be,  if  man  had  planned  and  rea- 
soned it  out;  it  is  of  divine  origin  and  therefore  is 
not  in  conformity  with  the  thoughts  and  desires, 
with  the  lusts  and  the  passions  of  man.  Mind  and 
lieart,  desire  and  will,  soul  and  body  resist  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.     And  in  that  resistance  man  is 

94 


THE  OPPOSITION  TO   CONFESSION.  95 

externally  strengtlieEed  by  the  whole  world,  by  the 
whole  kingdom  of  darkness. 

Certainly  there  is  a  difference  in  the  circum- 
stances. In  days  of  peace  and  rest  the  opposition 
to  the  Gospel  is  not  so  intense  as  in  times  when  the 
church  is  oppressed  and  persecuted  by  the  world. 
Much  more  courage  is  necessary  to  stand  up  for 
Christ  in  a  godless  community  of  sinners  and  scof- 
fers than  in  a  circle  of  relatives  and  friends  who 
altogether  confess  the  truth.  A  stronger  faith  is 
necessary  not  to  be  ashamed  of  the  Cross  of  Christ 
in  a  company  of  nobles  and  learned  men  than  in 
the  midst  of  a  common  and  simple  people  in  some 
isolated  town  or  village. 

But  in  principle  the  opposition  is  everywhere 
the  same.  For  flesh  and  world  and  satan  are  always 
and  everywhere  the  same,  and  the  greatest  and 
strongest  enemy,  w^ho  resists  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
dwells  in  our  own  heart.  The  form  in  which  the 
enmity  reveals  itself  may  be  diff'erent  but  always 
and  everywhere  the  confessing  of  the  Lord's  name 
is  accompanied  with  a  denying  of  ourselves,  and  a 
bearing  of  the  cross.  Scorn  and  derision  become 
the  part  and  portion  of  everyone,  in  whatever 
circle,  who  breaks  with  the  world  and  follows 
Jesus. 

Even  when  faith  has  been  worked  in  the  heart 
and  has  driven  to  confession,  how  much  is  there, 
even  then,  that  continually  and  constantly  keeps 
the  lips  closed  and  liolds  us  back  from  a  free  and 
liappy  acknowledgment  of  Jesus'  name. 

Behold  it  in  a  Peter,  wlio,  in  tlie  hour  of  danger 
denies  His  Master  and  even  afterwards  in  Antioch, 
out  of  fear  for  the  brotliers  of  circumcision  makes 


96  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

liimself  guilty  of  hypocrisy.  And  nevertheless 
Peter  as  the  most  prominent  of  the  Apostles,  who 
for  his  glorious  and  free  confession  of  Jesus'  Mes- 
siahship,  received  the  name  of  Rock  and  who  felt 
himself  b'ound  with  such  a  strong  love  to  His  Savior 
that  he  would  enter  death  with  Him,  and  cast  far 
from  him  the  possibility  of  denying  the  Lord.  If 
he  could  fall  and  did  fall,  who  then  can  remain 
standing?  And  for  whom  is  the  warning  super- 
fluous that  he,  who  thinketh  to  stand,  take  heed 
lest  he  fall? 

The  history  of  the  Christian  Church  reveals 
unto  us  many  beautiful  examples  of  steadfast, 
unshakable  martyrdoms,  but  it  also  contains  the 
sad  stories  of  thousands  upon  thousands  of  those 
who  in  the  hour  of  temptation  denied  the  faith  or 
in  crooked  ways  drew  back  from  the  confession. 
When  persecution  or  tribulation  ariseth  because 
of  the  Word,  then  is  immediately  offended  he,  who 
at  first  heard  the  Word  and  received  it  with  joy, 
but  had  no  root  in  himself  and  dureth  only  for  a 
while. 

There  are  so  msinj  dangers  to  which  a  believer 
stands  exposed;  so  many  cliffs  upon  which  he  is 
tlireatened  to  strand.  Lust  of  the  eyes,  lusts  of  the 
flesh  and  pride  of  life;  fear  for  loss  of  name  and 
honor,  of  possessions  and  life,  exert  themselves 
alternately,  singly  or  unitedly  to  draw  the  disciple 
of  Jesus  from  the  steadfastness  of  his  faith.  And 
under  all  these  trials  and  temptations,  the  so-called 
false  shame  probably  exerts  the  greatest  power. 
For  even  when  tlie  tribulations  and  persecutions 
are  passed,  this  works  on  and  makes  thousands  and 
ten  thousands  to  stumble  and  fall.     In  low  and 


THE  OPPOaiTION  TO   CONFESSION.  97 

liigh  society,  amongst  the  rich  aud  the  poor,  in  the 
midst  of  plebeians  and  patricians  this  false  shame 
throws  her  great  hindrances  in  the  way  of  the  con- 
fession of  the  Lord's  Name. 

There  is  something  deeply  humiliating  in  the 
fact  that  in  the  depth  of  our  heart  we  are  ashamed 
of  Jesus.  For  He  was  a  man,  who  went  through 
the  country  doing  good  and  blessing;  who  was 
gentle  and  tender  of  heart;  and  who,  it  is  true, 
died  on  a  cross,  but  His  enemies  were  His  judges 
and  therefore  condemned  Him  to  this  shameful 
deatli,  although  He  was  entirely  and  perfectly  in- 
nocent. There  must  be  something  wrong  with  us, 
we  must  be  morally  sick,  if  we  are  ashamed  of  such 
a  man  and  dare  not  take  His  name  upon  our  lips. 

Shame  in  general  is  an  unpleasant  feeling, 
which  comes  upon  us  at  a  certain  action  or  state 
of  ourselves  which  lowers  us  in  the  estimation  of 
others.  Sometimes  it  is  good.  For  instance,  when 
Adam  is  ashamed  of  himself  after  transgressing 
God's  commandment,  he  shows  by  it,  that  he  feels 
his  action  to  have  been  evil  and  that  he  realizes  his 
fall.  Shame  is  not  always  and  absolutely  a  fruit 
of  faith,  but  it  is  also  found  with  the  natural  man 
and  thus  proves  that  man  tl»rough  sin  has  not  be- 
come an  animal  or  devil  but  that  he  has  still  re- 
mained mau,  and  that  he  has  still  retained  a  feel- 
ing of  his  honor  and  worthiness. 

Nevertheless,  alongside  of  this  tnie  and  goo<] 
there  also  exists  a  wrong,  a  false  shame.  It  is 
found  with  us  when  we  feel  timid  or  embarrassed 
about  something  which  in  itself  is  good,  but  which 
nevertheless  makes  us  descend  in  the  estimation 
of  others.    Thus  we  are  often  ashamed  of  the  good 


98  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

impressions  which  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel 
has  had  upon  us;  of  the  accusations  of  our  con- 
science; of  the  sorroAv  which  comes  up  in  us  after 
committing  an  evil  and  wicked  act;  of  the  tender- 
lieartedness  and  aft'ectiveness  with  which  we  are 
affected  under  certain  circumstances.  We  are 
afraid,  that  others,  noticing  this  will  scorn  and 
deride  us  on  account  of  it;  that  tliej  will  consider 
us  weak,  simple,  childish;  that  we  wdll  lose  by  it 
dui'  name  as  strong,  brave,  courageous  persons. 

Now  this  false  shame  also  falls  upon  us  witli 
respect  to  the  Gospel  of  the  cross.  We  are  ashamed 
of  tlie  cliurcli  wliich  consists  not  of  many  wise  and 
nn'ghty  and  no])le.  AVe  are  ashamed  of  the  Bible, 
\\  liich  is  Si)  strange  and  wonderful,  and  wliich  is 
i-ejected  iind  dispu.ted  ]>y  the  men  of  civilization 
;iud  science.  AVe  are  ashamed  of  Ohrist,  who 
claiuied  to  ]>e  tlie  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  the 
anointed  of  tlie  Father.  We  are  ashamed  of  His 
cross,  whicli  was  an  oft'ense  to  the  Jews  and  foolish- 
lU'ss  unto  the  Greeks.  AA'e  are  ashamed  of  the 
whole  sj)ecial  revelation  of  (lod,  which  reveals  us 
iiiito  ourselves  and  displays  us  in  our  spiritual 
ifovcrty. 

Aud  we  make  ourselves  fearful  that  we,  choos- 
ing the  side  of  Christ  will  lose  entireh'  our  name 
and  our  honor  as  man,  with  ourselves  and  others 
and  will  become  an  object  of  scorn  and  derision,  of 
iib'use  and  ])ersecutiou.  We  fear,  that  by  the  cou- 
fessing  of  Ghrist,  our  dignity,  personality,  human- 
ity will  be  injured  and  suffer  loss.  Even  the  false 
shame  has  therefore  for  its  basis  a  dark  conscious- 
iH^ss  that   we   were  once  created   in   the  image  of 


THE  OPPOSITION   TO   CONFESSION.  99 

(tocI  and  have  still  a  certain  rank  and  honor  to 
preserve.  The  respect  and  admiration  of  himsell 
and  of  others  is  in  short  a  matter  of  iuditfereuce 
to  no  one,  because  in  his  deepest  fall  he  remains 
man  and  continues  to  bear  the  name  of  man,  that 
is,  of  God's  image  and  likeness. 

But  this  consciousness,  under  the  influence  of 
sin,  works  now  in  the  reverse  direction.  For  it  is 
true,  by  giving  ourselves  entirely  unto  Christ  for 
salvation,  we  descend  in  our  own  estimation  and 
in  that  of  others,  and  with  man  we  lose  our  name, 
and  our  honor.  But  this  estimation  rests  upon  a 
fancy  and  that  fancy  and  that  honor  is  built  upon 
an  imagination.  For  by  nature  Ave  consider  our- 
selves rich  and  enriched  and  in  need  of  nothing. 
But  when  Ave  embrace  the  Gospel,  then  AA^e  learn  to 
realize  that  Ave  are  poor  and  blind  and  naked  and 
in  need  of  eA^erything. 

And  thus  also  our  honor  Avith  man  is  mostly 
the  fruit  of  ignorance  and  appearance.  The  art  of 
winning  the  hearts  and  praise  of  man  consists 
therein  that  Ave  conceal  our  real,  true  nature  and 
ulloAv  them  to  form  an  opinion  of  our  person  ac- 
cording to  our  external  learned  appearance.  God 
is  true  and  honest,  but  every  man  is  a  liar;  he  does 
not  always  speak  the  untruth  but  he  is  untruth; 
lie  is  false,  deceitful  in  his  existence  itself.  Reality 
and  appearance,  essence  and  reAelation,  inward 
and  outAvard  man  are  in  contradiction  Avith  each 
other.  {Sometimes  Avhile  the  mouth  overflows  with 
love,  and  the  countenance  reveals  nothing  but 
friendship,  then  out  of  the  h-'art  of.  man  comes 
forth  evil  thoughts,  murders,   jidulteries,  fornica- 


PROPERTY  OF 
ZAREPHATH  LIBRARY 


100  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

tion,  thefts,  false  witness,  blasphemies.  The  saint, 
knowing  man  in  his  inward  existence  and  looking 
into  the  innermost  depth  of  his  heart,  wonld  flee 
from  him  in  horror.  And  therefore,  incomparably 
great  has  been  the  love  of  Christ,  who  knew  what 
was  in  man,  and  yet  came,  songht  him,  and  gave 
liimself  into  death  for  him. 

Thus  we  really  live  for  ourselves  and  for  others 
iu  a  fancy  and  imagination.  AVhen  we  look  at  it 
in  the  right  light,  we  lose  nothing  essential  when 
we  believe  in  Christ  for  we  have  nothing  essential. 
We  only  lose  the  imagination,  that  we  live,  that 
we  are  rich,  and  enriched  and  in  need  of  nothing 
The  most  fearful  misery  of  sin  consists  not  therein, 
that  we  are  blind,  but  it  consists  in  this:  that  we, 
being  blind,  nevertheless  imagine  that  we  see.  Sin 
is  guilt  and  pollution  and  shame,  but  above  that, 
also  foolishness  and  ignorance. 

And  that  imagination  of  ours  is  brought  into 
confusion  by  the  Word  of  the  Lord.  We  must  deny 
that  imagination  if  we  desire  to  be  save<l  by  Christ. 
For,  to  become  a  Christian — that  means,  to  count 
our  own  opinion  and  that  of  others  as  of  no  Avorth 
and  worthiness;  to  accept  the  judgment  of  (rod 
concerning  us  and  hope  only  for  His  grace  and 
mercy.  The  confessing  of  Christ  includes,  that  we 
lose  ourselves  and  evei*y thing,  our  name  and  our 
honor,  our  possessions  and  our  blood,  our  soul  and 
our  life.  And  it  is  exactly  against  this  that  the 
false  shame  strives  and  struggles.  The  sigh  for 
self-preservation,  in  appearance,  forces  and  drives 
man,  with  the  exertion  of  all  his  strength  and 
])ower,  to  oppose  the  Gospel. 

The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God :  for  it 


THE  OPPOSITION  TO   CONFIJSSION.  101 

is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed 
can  be.  The  natural  man  does  not  under.'^tand  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  And  neither  does  he 
understand  that  losing  ourselves  is  the  only  way  to 
true  self-preservation. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Strength  for  Confession. 

Wherefore  I  give  you  to  under- 
stand, that  no  man  speaking  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  calleth  Jesus 
accursed ;  and  that  no  man  can  say 
that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.     I  Cor.  12:3. 

What  is  impossible  Avith  man,  is  however,  pos 
sible  with  God.     From  Him  is  all  our  ability.     All 
true  confessing  comes  forth  out  of  the  faith  of  th(^ 
heart,  which  is  a  gift  of  God,  a  fruit  of  tlie  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Although  Clirist  had  fulfilled  everything,  still 
would  it  have  been  fruitless,  if,  after  His  ascension 
to  Heaven,  He  had  not  sent  the  Holy  Spirit,  \vh(» 
leadeth  in  all  truth.  For  the  whole  world  of  itself 
stands  in  opjjosition  to  Christ  and  loves  darkness 
rather  than  light.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  has  come  to 
Avitness  of  Christ  in  the  midst  of  the  world.  He  is 
the  only  but  also  the  almighty  witness  of  Chrisl. 
All  scorn  Christ  but  the  Holy  Spirit  glorifies  Him. 
All  condemn  Christ  but  the  Holy  Spirit  justifies 
Him.  All  reject  Christ  but  the  Holy  Spirit  stands 
up  for  Him  and  pleads  Hi'fe  cause  at  the  consciences 
of  men.     All   call   Christ  accursed,  but   the   Holy 

102 


THE  STRENGTH   FOR  CONFESSION.  103 

Spirit  says  that  He  is  the  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father. 

He  witnesses  of  Christ  in  the  Word,  wliieli 
through  prophets  and  apostles  He  has  written.  He 
Avitnesses  of  Christ  in  the  world,  which  He  con- 
Aances  of  sin  and  righteousness  and  judgment.  He 
witnesses  of  Christ  in  the  church  who  acknowl- 
edges Him  to  be  her  I^ord  and  her  God.  He  wit- 
nesses of  Christ  in  the  heart  of  every  believer,  who 
thereby  knows  that  he  is  a  child  of  God  and  cries 
^'Abba  Father.*'  And  against  that  testimony  of  the 
IIolj^  Spirit,  in  short,  no  child  of  man  can  stand. 
As  soon  as  the  Holy  Spirit  accompanies  the  proc- 
lamation of  the  Word  of  God  with  His  Almighty 
power,  tlien,  the  hardest  heart  is  broken,  the  most 
stubborn  knee  is  bowed;  the  loudest  mouth  is 
stopped.  In  the  face  of  His  testimony  all  our 
thoughts  and  considerations  are  of  no  significance, 
they  burst  as  a  bubble.  No  one  speaking  by  tlie 
Spirit  of  God  calls  Jesus  accursed,  and  everyone 
that  has  received  that  Spirit  confesses  Him  as  his 
Lord  and  Savior. 

But  even  then,  when  faith  has  been  implanted 
in  the  heart,  in  the  face  of  tlie  various  temptations 
to  unfaithfulness,  the  working  of  the  Spirit,  vrlncli 
makes  faith  to  reveal  itself  in  word  and  deed,  al- 
ways remains  necessary.  For  it  is  God  who  work- 
eth  in  us  not  only  to  will  but  also  to  do  His  good 
pleasure.  From  Him  we  receive  both  the  power  ol* 
faith  and  the  boldness  to  confess. 

Therefore  David  prayed  that  God  might  not 
take  his  Holy  Spirit  from  him,  and  might 
strengthen  him  witli  a  free  and  bold  spirit.  Wlien 
Peter  and  John  once  stood  before  tlie  ^reat  (^ounsel, 


104  THE  SACRIFICK  OF  PRAISE. 

and  afterwards,  being  released,  told  the  brethren 
their  experiences,  they  all  together  lifted  up  theii' 
voices  to  God  saying :  No\s  Lord  hjok  upon  tht^ 
threatenings  of  the  adversaries  and  give  unto  Thy 
servants  to  speak  Thy  Word  with  all  boldness;  and 
when  they  had  prayed,  the  place  was  shaken  where 
they  were  assembled  together;  and  they  were  all 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  they  spake  the 
Word  of  God  with  boldness.  Even  a  Paul  request- 
ed the  prayers  of  the  church  that  utterance  might 
be  given  unto  him,  that  he  might  open  his  mouth 
boldly,  to  make  known  the  mystery  of  the  Gospel. 

For  the  minister  of  the  Word  in  the  first  place, 
but  then  also  for  ever}^  believer  this  boldness  to 
speak  and  testify  is  indispensable.  It  consists  iii 
the  unembarrassment  to  give  testimony  to  tlu^ 
truth  of  God  in  Christ,  in  a  firm,  trusting  faith, 
openly  and  freely  before  each  and  everyone.  It  is 
founded  in  the  blessed  assurance  of  the  remission 
of  guilt,  in  the  liberty  to  approach  the  throne  of 
grace  and  to  ask  everything  of  Him  in  prayer. 
And  it  is  strengthened  in  us  by  the  many  examples 
of  brave  and  unshakable  confessors  of  whom  both 
Holy  Writ  and  history  make  mention. 

There  is,  first  of  all,  the  example  of  Christ.  H<' 
was  in  Himself  the  Word,  the  Truth,  the  Perfect 
Revelation  of  God.  And  He  came  into  a  world 
lying  in  sin  and  in  bondage  unto  deceit.  His  ap- 
pearance alone,  with  nothing  more,  was  a  protest 
that  was  bound  to  awaken  the  hatred  and  enmity 
of  the  world.  She  could  not  tolerate  Jesus.  His 
existence  was  her  judgment.  And  therefore  she 
strained  every  muscle  to  banish  this  righteous  one 
from  the  earth.     But  Jesus  remained  faithful  unto 


THE  STRENGTH   FOR   CONFESSION.  tOo 

His  Father  aud  became  obedient  anto  Hinij  even 
unto  the  death  of  the  cross.  He  withstood  every 
temptation.  He  bore  all  enmity,  before  the  Jewisli 
Sanhedrin  He  venfied  His  divine  Sonship,  and  be- 
fore Pontius  Pilate  He  made  the  good  confession. 
Thus  He  revealed  Himself  to  be  the  true  and  faith- 
ful witness,  the  Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our 
profession,  who  has  left  us  an  example  tliat  Ave 
should  walk  in  His  steps. 

Then  furthermore  there  are  the  many  thousands 
of  angels  unto  whose  communion  the  believers  have 
come  in  Christ  Jesus.  They  also  exhort  us  to  per- 
severance in  the  fight.  For  they  accompanied 
Christ  upon  all  His  ways,  and  ascended  and  de- 
scended upon  the  Son  of  Man  all  the  days  of  His 
earthh^  sojourn.  They  follow  the  church  upon 
her  way  through  the  worhl  and  are  sent  out  in  the 
service  of  them  who  shall  inherit  salvation.  They 
are  desirous  of  looking  into  the  mysteries  of  sal- 
vation and  rejoice  over  every  sinner  who  repents. 
Because  of  their  perfect  obedience,  tliey  are  given 
unto  us  for  examples  in  the  very  i>erfect  prayer 
and  through  us  they  must  be  made  acquainted  with 
the  multifarious  wisdom  of  God. 

Then  again  we  have  the  great  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses, with  whom  we  are  encompassed  about,  the 
whole  church  triumphant,  whose  numbers,  al- 
though they  do  not  behold  our  battles  as  eye  wit- 
nesses, nevertheless  by  their  example  as  witnesses 
of  the  faith  encourage  us  and  exhort  us  to  imitate 
them.  They  have,  for  a  part  at  least,  tasted  of 
scourging  and  derision,  and  also  of  bonds  and  im- 
prisonment. But  they  were  not  ashamed  of  the 
good  confession  and  remained  faithful  unto  the  end. 


UH>  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

And  daily  their  number  is  being  increased.  A 
multitude  which  no  man  can  number  is  now  al- 
ready formed  by  the  spirits  of  the  perfect  righteous. 
\yho  haye  been  taken  into  Heayen,  and  are  become 
our  leaders  and  examples  in  the  faithful  confession 
of  Christ. 

And  finally  there  is  also  the  church  militant 
upon  earth,  Ayhich,  by  holding  fast  to  the  unshak- 
able confession  of  hope,  strengthens  us.  In  yery 
truth,  it  has  been  said,  that  eyery  Christian  should 
belieye  so  firmly  that,  although  all  others  should 
fall  aAyay,  he  ^yould  still  remain  standing  firm  and 
unshakable.  But  notAyithstanding  this  is  true,  in 
general,  man  is  not  set  aside  for  neither  able  to  en- 
dure such  a  seclusion.  To  be  sure,  God  is  able  to 
grant  such  a  strong  faith  that  we,  though  forsaken 
by  all  yet  proceed  upon  our  \yay  with  rejoicing. 
But  generally  God  keeps  us  standing  in  and 
through  the  communion  of  saints.  For  eyen  as  we 
in  one  body  haye  many  members,  and  these  mem- 
l>ers  haye  not  all  the  same  work,  so  also  are  we 
many,  one  body  in  Christ,  but  we  are  each  others 
members.  And  as  such  all  belieyers  haye  com- 
munion with  the  Lord  Jesus  and  all  of  His 
treasures  and  gifts,  and  each  one  must  feel  that  h(^ 
is  obliged  to  use,  willingly  and  gladly  his  talents 
and  gifts  for  the  benefit  and  to  the  salyation  of  the 
other  members. 

Thus  the  confessors  of  Christ  are  hardly  ever 
alone.  Sometimes  in  a  certain  place  and  at  a  giyen 
time  they  may  feel  themselyes  forsaken  and  alone. 
But  also  then  it  is  yery  often  revealed  that  there 
are  yet  thousands  who,  with  them,  have  not  bowed 
the  knee  to  Baal.     And  whtm  tliev  ai-ise  out  of  the 


tHk  strength  ix)r  confession.  107 

anguish  of  their  souls  aud  look  about,  over  the 
whole  world  and  throughout  the  ages,  they  realize 
that  they  are  members  of  a  communion,  which  from 
the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  world  is  gathered, 
in  unity  of  faith,  out  of  the  whole  human  race,  by 
the  Son  of  God  and  l)y  Him  likewise  protected  and 
preserved.  The  Church  of  Christ  is  the  kernel  of 
humanity,  the  salt  of  the  earth,  the  light  of  the 
world.  AVhosoever  is  a  living  member  of  her  counts 
among  his  brothers  and  sisters,  the  best  and  great- 
est and  noblest  of  our  generation;  prophets  and 
apostles  and  church  fathers  and  martyrs  and  re- 
formers. And  at  their  head  stands  the  faithful  wit- 
ness, the  first-born  from  the  dead,  the  Sovereign  of 
the  Kings  of  the  earth. 

Especially  in  our  fatlierland  (The  Netherlands) 
there  is  no  reason  whatever  \y\\j  we  should  de- 
spondently withdraw  and  lock  ourselves  up  into 
obscurity.  For,  Christians  are  no  where  and  never 
a  sect;  although  they  are  opposed  and  contradicted 
everywhere,  but  they  are  this  the  least  in  the 
Netherlands,  whose  national  existence  was  born  or 
brought  fortli  by  the  Keformation.  The  Christian 
character  is,  in  this  land,  genuinely  national,  and 
the  confessors  of  the  Reformed  Faith  are  not 
strangers  and  aliens,  but  fellow  citizens  and  mem- 
bers of  the  household,  children  of  those  fathers  who, 
with  their  possessions  and  blood,  fought  victo- 
riously for  truth  and  liverty  against  error  and  tht^ 
binding  of  their  consciences. 

When  we  remember  all  these  things,  what  ex- 
amples ought  we  not  then  to  be  in  faithful  con- 
fessing and  holy  walk  I  To  be  sure,  the  power  of 
faith  is  necessary  to  roAv  up  against  the  stream  and 


108  THK  SAORIFICK  OF  PRAtSK. 

to  bear  that  ail  men  speak  evil  of  lis,  although 
it  is  deoeitfullv  and  for  the  Gospel's  sake.  From 
the  multitude  there  proceeds  a  magical  influence 
upon  the  individual.  In  every  circle  the  danger 
is  so  great  that  we  submit  to  the  number  and  ad- 
just ourselves  to  the  majority. 

But  in  opposition  to  this,  the  believers  can  derive 
encouragement  for  themselves  from  the  thought, 
that  they  all  together  are  come  unto  Mount  Ziou, 
and  unto  the  City  of  the  living  God,  the  Heavenly 
Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable  company  of 
Angels,  to  the  general  assembly  and  Church  of  the 
lirst-born,  which  are  written  in  Heaven,  and  to  Go<l 
the  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect,  and  to  the  Mediator  of  the  new 
covenant. 

Therefore  then,  we  have  nothing  to  fear,  foi- 
thev  who  are  with  us,  are  more  than  thev  which 
are  with  them. 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  Reward  of  Confession. 

Whosoever  therefore  shall  con- 
fess me  before  men,  him  will  I 
confess  also  before  my  Father 
zvhich  is  in  Heaven.     Matt.  10:32. 

Unto  the  faithful  confession  of  the  Lord's  name 
is  hound  a  reward,  which  is  great  in  the  Heavens. 

Continually  Holy  Writ  speaks  of  a  reward 
\\  hi(^h  shall  be  granted  unto  believers  at  the  return 
of  C'lirist.  It  is  granted  as  an  indemnity,  for  that 
of  wljiclj  the  disciples  of  Jesus  here  upon  earth 
denied  themselves  for  His  sake,  or  for  what  they 
suffered,  or  for  the  good  works  of  mercy  and  love 
which  they  fulfilled.  And  Holy  Writ  does  not 
Iresitate  to  encourage  believers  unto  a  faithful  per- 
severance in  their  confession  by  the  promise  of  such 
a  reward.  She  is  not  afraid  that  she  thereby  shall 
introduce  a  false  principle  into  the  practice  of 
godliness,  that  she  shall  give  cause  or  reason  to 
exercise  virtue  to  serve  fortune  and  God  for  the 
sake  of  the  Heavenly  salvation. 

For  although  constantly  speaking  of  a  reward 
Holy  Writ  is  very  strongly  opposed  to  all  service 
for  reward.  The  rew^ard  that  awaits  the  faithful 
soldiers,  is  not  obligatory,  is  not  a.  right  which  is 
theirs  by  nature,  is  not  an  obligated  remuneration 

109 


110  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

for  accomplished  labor.  Such  a  reward  is  not 
kno^n  to  scripture  and  she  cuts  it  off  in  the  root  by 
the  relation  in  which  she  places  man  as  creature  to 
God  his  Creator.  Whosoever  has  done  everj^thing 
that  was  commanded  him  is  even  then  only  an  un- 
profitable servant.  Man  is,  and  has  of  himself 
nothing  and  tlierefore  can  give  nothing  unto  God 
upon  whom  he  is  absolutely  dependent.  He  can 
give  notliing  because  he  has  to  receive  everything. 
He  is  not  a  party  opposite  to  God,  wlio,  has  his  own, 
inalienable  rights,  and  in  tlie  form  of  a  contract 
can  demand  reward  or  wages  for  tlie  laboi"  to  Ix' 
(hdiA^ered. 

But  God,  from  His  side,  lias  of  His  own  free 
will  bound  Himself  to  richlv  crown  all,  who  walk 
in  His  ways,  with  the  gifts  of  His  grace.  Unto  that 
He  bound  Himself  in  the  first  covenant,  when  in 
the  obedience  unto  His  commandment  He  opened 
the  way  to  eternal  life  and  heavenly  salvation. 
This  was  not  a  reward  in  the  sense  of  a  reward  for 
work  performed,  for  what  equality  does  tliere  exist 
between  the  very  easy  and  in  itself  obligated  keep- 
ing of  the  Lord's  commandment  and  the  unobli- 
gated gift  of  eternal,  blessed  life  in  communion 
with  God? 

And  just  so  in  the  covenant  of  grace  He  binds 
Himself  to  give  unto  everyone  that  believes  in 
Christ,  eternal  life.  But  here  there  is  still  less 
room  to  speak  of  a  reward  in  the  original  sense  of 
the  word.  For  believing  is  nothing  else  than  ac- 
<:epting  the  gift  of  grace  which  has  been  revealed 
in  Christ,  and  is  therefore  no  more  meritorious  than 
the  grasping  of  the  life  line  by  a  shipwTecked 
mariner  who  is  upon  the  verge  of  perishing  and 


THE   REWARD    OF    CONFESSION.  Ill 

sinking  in  the  deep.  But  God  is  so  good  that  He 
attaches  unto  faith,  not  for  His  own,  but  for 
Christ's  sake,  the  forgiveness  of  sins  and  life  ever- 
lastins',  and  bv  the  slorv  which  awaits  believers  He 
encourages  them  in  the  fight.  Thus  it  is,  that  both 
are  true,  on  the  one  hand  the  possession  of  all  the 
benefits  of  the  covenant  is  placed  before  all  works 
and  bound  only  to  faith,  and  on  the  other  hand 
the  believer  is  so  earnestly  exhorted  to  the  doing 
of  good  works,  as  if  all  of  these  benefits  were  only 
to  be  obtained  in  this  way.  The  believers  are 
chosen  from  eternity  and  yet  they  have  to  make 
their  calling  and  election  sure.  Thru  faith  they 
possess  eternal  life  and  yet,  one  day  the}^  shall  re- 
ceive it  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Father  as  a  reward 
for  their  self-denial.  Thev  are  branches  of  the  vine, 
who  without  Christ  can  do  nothing  and  yet,  they 
are  exhorted  to  abide,  in  Him,  in  His  Word,  in 
His  love.  They  are  the  handiwork  of  God  created 
in  Clirist  Jesus  unto  all  good  works,  which  God  has 
prepared,  and  still  tliey  must  walk  in  the  same. 
They  are  lioly,  and  nevertheless  must  sanctify  them- 
selves from  day  to  day.  They  have  crucified  their 
fiesh  with  its  lusts  and  yet  they  are  called  to 
mortify  their  members  which  are  upon  earth. 
They  are  sure  of  their  ultimate  salvation  for  God's 
election  is  immutable.  His  calling  irregrettable.  His 
covenant  immovable.  His  promises  yea  and  amen, 
and  yet  they  are  constantly  urged  to  work  out  their 
own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,  to  be  faith- 
ful unto  death  and  to  persevere  unto  the  end. 

Holy  Writ  does  not  encourage  a  passive  but  an 
active  Christianity.  It  desires  that,  the  believers 
shall  constautlv  and  continuallv  become  more  what 


112  THE  JSACKlFiOE  OF  PRAISE. 

they  ai*€;  that  they  shall  merit  what  they  have  m- 
herited;  that  they  shall  more  and  more,  make  them- 
selves possessors  of  what  in  Christ  belongs  to  them. 
Therefore  the  same  thins: — that  on  tlie  one  hand  is 
an  unmerited  free  gift,  can  on  the  other  hand  be 
represented  as  a  reward.  It  can  be  called  a  re- 
ward because  faith  and  perseverance  in  faith  is  the 
only  way,  in  which  believers  can  perfectly  come 
into  possession  of  those  benefits  which  in  Christ 
are  given  unto  them  out  of  pure  grace.  Without 
lioliness  no  one  shall  see  God. 

B}'  that  reward  wc  sometimes  understand  th(^ 
lieavenly  salvation  itself  and  tlien  again  the  dif 
ferent  steps  or  grades  in  glorv  wliicli  shall  ))e 
granted  unto  the  believers  according  to  tlieir  works 
Even  as  it  is  upon  earth  so  shall  it  be  in-  heaven. 
There  is  diversity  in  unity.  Another  is  the  glory 
of  the  sun,  and  another  is  the  glory  of  the  moon, 
and  another  is  the  glory  of  the  stars;  for  the  one 
star  dilfereth  in  glory  from  the  other  star.  In  the 
house  of  the  Father,  wherein  dAvell  all  the  children 
of  God,  there  are  many  mansions.  According  to 
the  measure  of  their  faithfulness  each  church  re- 
ceives of  the  King  of  the  church  an  own  ornament 
and  crown.  For  we  all  must  appear  before  the 
judgment  seat  of  Christ  that  everyone  may  receive 
the  things  done  in  His  body,  according  to  that  he 
hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad. 

Then  the  separation  between  man  and  man  will 
\)p  perfected.  At  the  first  coming  of  Christ,  yea, 
already  at  His  very  first  anuonncement  in  the 
promise;  this  crisis,  this  judgment  in  the  world 
began.  Christ  came  unto  the  resurrection  and  the 
fall  of  many.    He  came  not  to  bring  peace  upon  the 


THE    liKVrAlil)    OF    CONFESSION.  113 

earth  but  the  sword,  to  set  a  man  at  vaiiaucc* 
against  his  father,  and  the  daughter  against  her 
mother,  and  the  daughter-in-law  against  her  mother- 
in-law.  He  compels  all,  to  choose  for  or  against 
Him.  His  Word  is  a  judge  of  the  thoughts  and 
meditations  of  the  heart.  His  Gospel  is  a  savour 
of  life  unto  life  or  a  savour  of  death  unto  deatli. 
And  that  separation  is  perfected  l)y  Him  in  the  day 
of  His  future,  wlien  everytliing  shall  be  revcnihMl 
before  His  judgment  seat.  P^or  the  Father  lias 
given  all  judgment  uuio  tlie  Son  because  He  is  tlic 
Son  of  Man. 

Everyone's  fate  shall  tlieu  be  determined  by  tlie 
fact,  whether  or  not  Christ  acknowledges  him  to  bp 
His  and  confesses  him  before  His  Fatluu-,  which  is 
in  Heaven.  Upon  His  public  confession  hangs  our 
acquittal,  our  salvation. 

Christ  Avas  not  ashamed  of  us  at  His  incarna- 
tion. To  be  sure  He  had  uuuiy  reasons  to  be.  l-^oi* 
He,  Himself,  was  the  only  begotten  of  th(»  Father, 
of  one  essence  and  glory  with  God  the  Father  and 
the  Holy  Spirit,  yea,  the  brightness  of  tlie  Father's 
glory  and  the  express  inuige  of  His  person  —  who 
thought  it  not  robl)erv  to  be  equal  Avith  God.  And 
Ave  were  laden  Avith  guilt,  unclean  from  the  crown 
of  our  heads  to  the  soles  of  our  feet,  and  subject 
to  corruption.  But  still  He  Avas  not  ashamed  to 
call  us  brothers.  He  Avas  ashamed  of  us  neither 
before  God  nor  before  the  Holy  Angels.  He  ac- 
cepted our  flesh  and  l)lood,  went  in  unto  our  nature, 
became  like  unto  us  in  everything,  sin  only  ex- 
cepted. And  even  God  Avas  not  ashamed  lo  be 
called  our  God  in  Christ. 

Therefore  tlien    He  shall   also  not  be  ashamed 


114  THE  SACKIJ^ICE  OF  PRAISE. 

of  US  iu  the  day  of  His  future.  To  be  sure,  at  that 
time  He  comes  again  not  as  servant  but  as  Lord, 
not  to  suffer  but  to  be  glorified,  not  unto  a  croas 
but  with  a  crown.  But  nevertheless  He  shall  not 
be  ashamed  of  us.  For  He  that  ascended  up  far 
above  all  Heavens,  is  the  same,  that  once  descended 
into  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth.  He  that  judges, 
is  the  Son  of  Man,  Who  once  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  was  lost.  Our  judge  is  our  Savior. 
He  never  forgets  and  never  forsakes  those  that  are 
His.  Whosoever  confesses  Me  before  men,  thus  He 
witnesses,  him  will  I  also  confess  before  My  Father 
which  is  in  Heaven. 

Publicly,  in  full  view  of  tlie  whole  world,  so 
that  every  creature  shall  hear  it.  He  will  stand  up 
for  His  faithful  confessors.  However  despised  they 
may  have  been  in  this  world,  Christ  Avill  take  tlieir 
name  upon  His  lips  and  proclaim  it  unto  every  ear 
tliat  they  are  His,  whom  He  has  bought  with  His 
own  blood,  and  of  whom  no  power  in  the  world  oi* 
in  hell  shall  be  able  to  rob  Him. 

And  as  Christ  says,  so  shall  it  be.  His  judg- 
ment shall  be  effected  in  the  whole  creation.  His 
confession  shall  concern  all  creatures.  No  one  shall 
be  able  to  criticise  it.  No  one  shall  dare  to  oppose 
it.  His  judgment  shall  be  exalted  above  all 
criticism  and  shall  stand  high  above  the  judgment 
of  all  men  and  devils.  The  heavens  and  the  earth 
and  the  hell  and  all  creatures  shall  eternally  sub- 
mit to  it. 

And  what  is  of  greater  importance  than  all 
this.  The  Father  shall  rest  in  this  work  of  His 
Son.  Even  as  God  after  the  creation  saw  all  that 
He  had  made,  and  behold,  it  was  very  good,  even 


THE    KEWAKl)    OF    CONFESSION.  115 

SO  at  the  end  of  days  He  shall  look  down  witli 
divine  pleasure  upon  the  great  work  of  redemption 
brought  about  by  Christ.  When  the  church  with- 
out spot  or  wrinkle  shall  be  set  before  Him,  and 
the  Kingdom  perfected  shall  have  been  given  unto 
Him,  then  the  Father  shall  accept  all  the  redeemed 
of  the  Son  as  His  children,  make  them  participate 
in  His  communion  and  enjoy  His  presence. 

The  public  confession  of  the  believers  by  Christ 
before  His  Father,  which  is  in  Heaven,  shall  be 
the  surety  of  their  eternal  salvation  and  glory. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Triumph  of  Confession. 

Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly 
exalted  him  and  given  him  a  name 
zvhieJi  is  above  every  name:  that  at 
the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  Heaven, 
and  things  in  earth,  and  things  un- 
der the  earth;  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father.     Phil.  2:9-11. 

Deep  in  the  heart  of  man  lievS  buried  the  hope 
that  truth  shall  one  day  gain  the  victory  over  un- 
truth, and  that  good  shall  one  day  triumph  over 
evil. 

All  religions  foster  that  expectation  and  speak 
of  a  triumph  that  shall  be  gained  at  the  end  of  time 
by  the  Kingdom  of  Light  over  that  of  darkness.  AH 
systems  of  philosophy  conclude  by  picturing  an 
ideal  state,  wherein  man,  surrounded  by  the  pure 
atmosphere  and  clear  sunshine  of  the  future,  shall 
dwell  in  i>eace  and  joy,  true,  free,  and  good.  All 
men  long  for  a  paradise,  in  wliich  innocence  shall 
have  returned  and  prosperity  shall  be  the  portion 
of  all.  Even  the  greatest  unbelievers  surrender 
themselves   to    this   sweet    hoi>e,   and   dream    of   a 

116 


THE    TIUrMl'H    OF   (JONFESSION.  Ill 

kingdom  of  truth  and  goodness  and  beauty,  that 
shall  after  a  shorter  or  longer  period  of  time  come 
upon  the  whole  earth. 

But  alsa!  for  that  hope  all  ground  is  lacking. 
For  upon  what  ground  can  we  believe  in  a  triumph 
of  trutli,  of  righteousness,  if  there  is  no  God  of 
truth  and  righteousness,  and  no  Christ,  anointed 
of  the  Father,  to  raise  that  kingdom  and  to  create 
tiie  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth?  The  idols  of 
the  heathen  are  the  works  of  the  hand  of  man ;  the 
future  exiDcctations  of  philosophers  are  the  inven- 
tions of  the  human  brain ;  and  tlie  truth,  the  aood, 
and  the  beautiful  are  pleasant  sounds  but  no 
powers  which  in  themselves  are  able  to  usurp  au- 
thority over  all  the  children  of  men. 

Whosoever  expects  salvation  from  that,  sees 
himself  compelled  to  build  upon  man  and  to  ex- 
pect of  them  that  they  shall  slowly  and  gradually 
acknowledge  the  truth  and  exercise  virtue.  But  by 
that  it  also  appears  immediately  that  that  hope  is 
very  weak.  For,  to  be  sure,  there  is  progress  in 
material  prosperity,  a  developing  of  man's  autlior- 
ity  or  power  over  nature,  an  ever-increasing  servi- 
tude of  nature's  powders  to  the  making  agreeable  of 
life. 

But,  according  to  all  acknowledgment,  the 
moral  progress  does  not  keep  step  with  the  material 
progress.  In  our  century,  which  looks  down  from 
on  high  upon  all  her  predecessors,  justice  is 
trampled  under  foot,  righteousness  stumbles  upon 
the  streets,  coveteousness  and  thirst  for  gold  in- 
creases, the  glorification  of  power  knows  no  bounds. 
Civilization,  knowledge,  and  science  even  become 
subservient   to   brutal    force.      On    the   one   hand. 


118  TIIK  SACRIFICE  OF   PKALSE. 

tbei'e  is  au  iusatiableness  of  cultinc,  on  the  other, 
misery  and  lamentation.  And  man  appears  to  he 
farther  away  from  paradise  than  ever  before. 

At  all  events  it  is  clearly  proven  hy  history  that 
no  salvation  is  to  be  expected,  either  from  the 
exertion  of  human  strength  and  power,  or  from  the 
imminent  self-development  of  the  world.  If  there 
is  nothing  else,  there  remains  only  room  for  dim 
despondency  and  hopeless  despair.  Whosoever  is 
without  God  and  without  Christ,  is  also  without 
hope  in  the  world.  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  was 
not  at  one  time  established  upon  earth  along  th(* 
lines  of  succession,  neither  shall  it  be  completed  in 
the  future  in  this  way. 

It  is  again  in  the  spiritual  realm  even  as  in  that 
of  the  natural.  Even  as  the  earth  must  receive  her 
light  and  her  air,  her  rain  and  her  sunshine,  her 
growth  and  her  fruitfulness  from  above,  so  also  is 
mankind  dependent  for  its  spiritual  life  upon  the 
world  of  invisible  and  eternal  things,  where  Christ 
is,  seated  on  the  right  hand  of  God. 

From  on  high  therefore  is  descended  He,  who 
is  the  Light,  the  Life,  the  Salvation  of  the  world. 
And  from  on  high  He  gathers,  preserves  and  pro- 
tects the  Church,  which  is  His  body.  For  He  has 
been  exalted  as  Head  at  the  Father's  right  hand, 
that  He  should  fulfill  all  things  with  Himself,  and 
as  King  must  He  reign  until  all  enemies  have  been 
brought  under  His  foot. 

And  thus  He  shall  one  day  descend  from  above. 
His  second  coming  is  understood  in  the  first  and 
in  her  time  necessarily  flows  forth  out  of  it.  His 
second  coming  is  not  an  arbitrary  addition  to,  but 
is  ins(>parably  nnitod  to  His  first  appearance.    For 


THE   TRIUMPH    OF   CONFESSION.  119 

the  work  of  Chriyt  coiisists  in  jsaving ;  uot  Id  the 
opening  of  the  possibility  of  salvation,  but  in  the 
granting  of  .salvation  itself,  perfectly  and  eternal. 

His  work  was  therefore  not  fliiished  with  the 
meriting  of  salvation  upon  earth.  Of  what  protit 
and  benefit  to  us  would  be  a  Christ,  who  would 
only  die  for  us  but  would  not  live  and  pray  for  us 
and  for  our  good  appear  before  God's  countenance? 
But  He  that  descended  is  the  same  also  that 
ascended  far  above  all  Heavens,  that  He  should 
fultill  all  things.  What  He  merited.  He  also  ap- 
plies. What  He  began,  He  consummates.  He  does 
not  rest  and  may  not  rest,  until  He  has  perfectly 
saved  His  people,  and  renewed  Heaven  and  earth. 

Maran-atha !  the  Lord  cometh.  He  comes  again, 
tirst  of  all  for  His  own  sake.  His  name.  His  office. 
His  honor  is  at  stake.  He  comes  again,  to  reveal 
it  unto  the  whole  world,  that  He  is  the  true,  the 
perfect  Savior;  that  He  saves  not  in  name  but  in 
deed  and  in  truth ;  that  He  grants  eternal  life  unto 
all,  who  have  been  given  unto  Him  by  the  Father; 
that  no  one  has  plucked  or  is  able  to  pluck  them 
out  of  His  hand;  that  He  is  the  same  yesterday, 
today  and  forever. 

He  comes  again,  to  take  vengeance  wdth  a  flam- 
ing fire  upon  all  those  who  do  not  know^  God  and 
who  are  disobedient  unto  His  Gospel;  but  also  to 
be  glorified  in  all  His  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in 
all,  that  believe ;  to  be  acknoAvledged  and  to  receive 
homage  as  the  Lord,  the  only  and  true  Lord,  to  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father. 

The  history  of  the  world  therefore  ends  in  unity 
of  confession.  One  day,  angels  and  devils,  the 
righteous  and  the  godless  shall  agree  in  the  ac- 


120  THE  SACRIFICE  OF  PRAISE. 

knowledgmeiit,  that  Christ  is  the  only  begotten  Sou 
of  the  Father  and  therefore  the  Heir  of  all  things. 
Then  every  knee  shall  bow  an.d  every  tongne  nhall 
confess,  that  Jesiis  Christ  is  the  Lord. 

Today  that  confession  can  b(^  contradicted  an<t 
opposed.  For  she  has  as  contents  a  world  of  in- 
visible things.  To  have  an  insight  into  her  truth, 
it  is  necessary  to  have  faith,  which  is  the  substance 
of  things  hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of  things  not 
seen.  AVe  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight.  The 
world,  that  reckons  only  with  things  visible,  can 
contradict  the  Church,  consider  her  faith  foolish- 
ness, and  look  upon  her  hope  as  an  illusion.  Even 
the  appearance  is  against  us.  For  from  the  days, 
that  the  fathers  died,  all  things  remain  the  same, 
even  as  from  the  beginning  of  creation,  so  that  th(^ 
mockers  can  ask:  AVhere  is  the  promise  of  his 
future? 

But  a  change  is  coming,  Maran-atha!  John  saw, 
in  a  vision,  Heaven  opened,  and  behold  a  white 
horse;  and  He  that  sat  upon  him,  was  called  faith- 
ful and  true,  and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge 
iind  make  war.  His  ej^es  were  as  a  tlanie  of  tire, 
and  upon  His  head  were  many  croAvns;  and  He 
had  a  name  written,  that  no  man  knew  but  He 
Himself.  And  He  was  clothed  in  a  vesture  dipped 
in  blood;  and  His  name  is  called  the  Word  of  God. 
And  the  armies  which  were  in  Heaven  followed 
Him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white 
and  clean.  And  out  of  His  mouth  goeth  a  sharp 
sword,  that  with  it  He  should  smite  the  nations: 
and  He  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  He 
treadeth  the  wine-i)ress  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath 
of  Almio'htv  Cod.     And    He  hath   on    His  vesture 


THE    TKIUMPli    OF   CONFESSION.  121 

aud  on  bib?  thigh  a  name  written,  King  of  kings, 
and  Lord  of  lords. 

When  Christ  appears  thus  in  glory,  no  one  shall 
be  able  to  ojjpose  or  withstand  Him.  xVll  shall  see 
Him,  also  they  that  pierced  Him.  They  shall  see 
Him  with  their  own,  corporeal  eyes,  and  no  unbe- 
lief, no  doubt  shall  any  more  be  possible.  Then  all 
creatures  shall  have  to  acknowledge  that  Christ  is 
the  Lord.  They  shall  have  to  acknowledge  it,  if 
not  freely,  then  compelled;  if  not  willingly,  then 
unwillingly;  if  not  with,  then  against  their  desire. 
Even  from  the  Throne  in  the  midst  of  the  Heavens, 
throughout  all  the  realms  of  creation,  to  the  very 
depth  of  the  great  abyss,  only  one  voice  shall  be 
lieard  to  sound  and  resound:  Christ  the  Lord! 
And  all  creatures  together  shall  bow  the  knee  be- 
fore Him,  who,  to  be  sure,  was  deeply  humiliated 
and  died  on  a  cross,  but  who  was  also  highly  ex- 
alted and  seated  upon  the  Throne  of  the  Universe 
at  the  Father's  right  hand. 

What  a  future,  what  a  scene  I  The  whole  crea- 
tion upon  its  knees  before  Jesus!  And  upon  all 
lips  the  one,  the  brief,  the  returning  to  her  point 
of  obeisance  but  nevertheless  all  including,  the 
now  by  many  scorned  but  then  by  all  acknowledged 
confession,  that  Christ  is  the  Lord  to  the  glory  of 
God  the  Father! 

Come,  Lord  Jesus  come,  yea  come  quickly! 

He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed 
in  white  raiment.  And  He,  that  hath  the  seven 
spirits  of  God  and  the  seven  stars,  shall  in  no  w^ise 
blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  He 
shall  confess  liis  name  before  the  Father  and  before 
His  Angels. 


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